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HRZZ: Nanoplastics and microalgae: Unraveling nanostructural, nanomechanical and physiological responses (AlgaNanoPlast)

HRZZ: Nanoplastics and microalgae: Unraveling nanostructural, nanomechanical and physiological responses (AlgaNanoPlast)
Category
Projekti Hrvatske zaklade za znanost
Total cost
195.500,00
EUR
Start date
Dec 5th 2025
End date
Dec 4th 2028
Status
Active
More information
Project Web page

Principal investigator

Tea Mišić Radić, dr. sc.

Tea.Misic@irb.hr

+385 1 456 1128

Project code: IP-2025-02-7932

PROJECT TEAM

Principal investigator:

  • dr. sc. Tea Mišić Radić, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb (Croatia)

Project collaborators:

  • dr. sc. Petra Vukosav, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb (Croatia)
  • dr. sc. Nadica Ivošević DeNardis, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb (Croatia)
  • dr. sc. Petra Peharec Štefanić, Faculty of Science, Zagreb (Croatia)
  • dr. sc. Bruno Komazec, Faculty of Science, Zagreb (Croatia)
  • dr. sc. Cécile Formosa, Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, Toulouse (France)
  • m. sc. Adriana Pereira Contreras Sánchez, Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, Toulouse (France)
  • m. sc. Simona Sebastiano, Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, Toulouse (France)

PROJECT AIM

Nanoplastics are widely distributed in the environment and pose a significant threat to ecosystems. The presence of nanoplastics in the marine environment is of concern due to their impact on marine biota, including microalgae, which are among the most important primary producers in marine ecosystems and form the basis of the marine food chain. In recent years, research into the potential impact of nanoplastics in the environment has been increasing, however, the ecotoxicological effects of nanoplastics on marine microalgae have rarely been investigated. The AlgaNanoPlast project aims to understand the impact of nanoplastics on marine microalgae. The effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) of different sizes and opposite surface charge will be assessed based on nanomorphological, nanomechanical and physiological responses using complementary methods. We will investigate the effects of PS NPs (both pristine and artificially-aged) on two selected marine microalgal species: the diatom Cylindrotheca closterium and the green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta. The response of the selected microalgae to nanoplastics will be studied at both the population and single-cell levels. This includes monitoring growth inhibition, changes in the nanostructural and nanomechanical properties of the cells, measuring the oxidative stress response, and assessing the effects on photosynthesis. As nanoplastics are subject to strong aging effects after their disposal in the environment, this project also aims to investigate the effects of aging on the impact of nanoplastics on microalgae in order to obtain more environmentally relevant data. Overall, given the crucial role of microalgae in marine food webs and ecosystem functioning, the results of the AlgaNanoPlast project will make an important contribution to understanding the ecological impact of nanoplastics on the entire marine ecosystem.