The SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting took place from the 11th to the 15th of May 2025 in Vienna, Austria. Organised by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Europe (SETAC), it gathered participants from academia, industry and regulators.
The LEARN project’s coordinator, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), exhibited a poster about some LEARN project research that explores the use of the model organism C.elegans to assess the toxicological effects of air pollutants.
High-Content Screening in C.elegans for Neuronanosafety: Impacts of Silver Nanoparticles on Neurodegeneration
The poster presented a study on the neurotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans). Researchers employed the SydLab™ One platform to conduct high-content, high-throughput screening across wild-type and transgenic strains mimicking Alzheimer’s (GMC101) and Parkinson’s (NL5901) diseases.
The study found that AgNP exposure led to significant growth inhibition, developmental delays, and reduced reproduction rates at higher concentrations. Notably, behavioural changes such as altered body bending frequency were observed in Alzheimer’s models, suggesting a link between AgNPs and amyloid-beta aggregation, a hallmark of neurodegeneration.
These findings are directly relevant to the LEARN project’s Work Package 5, aimed at developing new models and methodologies to assess the toxicological effects of air pollutants.
The C.elegans as a Reliable Tool in Neuro-Behavioural
Toxicology: Case study of Diesel Exhaust Particles
This is directly related to the poster presented at the previous edition of the SETAC Europe Annual Meeting (the 34th), which took place from the 5th to the 9th of May 2024 in Seville, Spain.
In that case, the poster investigated the neurobehavioral effects of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on C.elegans, focusing on how DEP exposure affects locomotion, swimming behaviour, and neuronal integrity, particularly in dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurons.
Using wild-type and transgenic strains, researchers observed significant degeneration in glutamatergic neurons and structural deformities in dopaminergic neurons at higher DEP concentrations. These findings suggest that DEP can impair movement and induce neurodegenerative changes, reinforcing the utility of C. elegans as a reliable tool in neurobehavioral toxicology.
Sources: Chatterjee, N., Pierron, M., Mouchiroud, L., & Alfaro-Moreno, E. (2025, May). High-content screening in C. elegans for neuronanosafety: Impacts of silver nanoparticles on neurodegeneration [Conference poster]. SETAC Europe 2025, Vienna, Austria. International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory & Nagi Bioscience.
Chatterjee, N., & Alfaro-Moreno, E. (2024, May). The C. elegans as a reliable tool in neuro-behavioural toxicology: Case study of diesel exhaust particles [Conference poster]. SETAC Europe 2024, Seville, Spain. International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory.
© Image by Iulia Buta from Unsplash
The LEARN project is a Horizon Europe project meant to monitor and evaluate indoor air quality at schools around Europe and its impact on children’s health. Our main goal is to develop and deploy novel sensors that can detect possibly harmful air pollutants, as well as advanced biosensors and optimised air remediation strategies. Find out more about our EU-funded project!
