Biodiversity and nanotechnology seem to be two separate areas of study with no direct connection. Biodiversity describes the wide variety of forms on Earth, while nanotechnology focuses on manipulating materials on a near-atomic scale to develop new structures and devices.
Recently, experts expressed interest in establishing a relationship between biodiversity and nanotechnology. They began to realize the important role played by nanotechnology as a potential solution for environmental protection and sustainability.
Discovery of a New Response Mechanism
Multiple species share the same mechanism of molecular response to nanoparticles. This was confirmed by a group of researchers from Tampere University. The study, led by Giusy del Giudice, analyzes various datasets from different engineered nanomaterial (ENM) exposure studies.
Giusy del Giudice and his team performed a meta-analysis of transcriptomics data from different ENM studies and identified patterns of gene regulation that affect the transcriptomic response. The meta-analysis reveals immune function deregulation as a response to various exposure studies.
The study's result, published in Nature Nanotechnology journal, leads to the discovery an ancestral epigenetic mechanism that explains how different species adapt to nanoparticle exposure over time. For the first time, scientists can demonstrate that species have a specific response to nanoparticles and are interconnected to their nanoparticles. Similar behavior can also be observed in the response of species to particulate matter. As a result, it can solve the one-chemical-one-signature problem, which limits the application of toxicogenomics in evaluating chemical safety.
The research outcome reveals the important connection between the basic defense mechanisms in organisms and their immune functions. This association presents the utmost importance in healthcare with epidemiological applications. The COVID pandemic has made experts realize the significance of immune activation in foretelling the clinical outcome of a viral infection. Scientists understand that any infection could leave a trace on the body's immune system, and this trace affects our response mechanism to future agents.
"We need innovative ways to reliably assess possible dangerous products as quickly as possible. Scientific evidence such as the one generated in this study can help to develop new models that do not require large amounts of animal experiments," said Prof. Dario Greco of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technologies.
Battle Against Nanopollution
The study of nanotechnology and toxicogenomics provides insight into the potential toxicity of ENM. Linking nanoparticles and immunity help the experts understand the need to develop integrated models to predict the effect of chemical exposures on nondifferent species.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the production of ENMs in the industrial setting. According to Springer Nature, it has raised concerns regarding the possible health and environmental risks.
For instance, the presence of ENMs in the marine environment leads to nanopollution brought by nano-enabled products (NEPs). The rising demand in using NEPs causes an increase in the release of ENMs in the environment which can induce adverse effects on the ecosystem.
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