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Published on September 28, 2022

Abstract

Water fleas, or Daphnia, could provide an important ‘early warning system’ for chemical pollution in our lakes and rivers.

In addition, where prevention to pollute has failed, Daphnia could work as a bioremediation agent to help reduce hazards.

Researchers, led by the University of Birmingham, have devised a new framework using high throughput ‘omics’ technologies to detect the effects of ambient  mixtures—of the type and concentration typically found in the environment—on the biology of living organisms. The approach uses Daphnia to understand what chemicals can be toxic to other species and how. This is possible because all animals, including humans, share genes that underpin their responses to  including exposure to pollution. (…)

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Credit: Paul Hebert – Functional Genomics Thickens the Biological Plot. Gewin V, PLoS Biology Vol. 3/6/2005, e219. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0030219

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