Cracking the Code of Adaptive Evolution (deCODE)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Sch of Biosciences
Abstract
Study systems are needed to definitively test and identify the mechanisms of adaptation to environmental change. Few animal models exist that enable surveys of their natural populations over hundreds or thousands of generations, which are needed to observe genetic fixation of adaptive responses. The extent to which epigenetic adaption precedes and informs genetic fixation is also unknown. Direct measurements of the rates of genetic and epigenetic evolution and associated fitness gains during an adaptation event will lead to improved understanding of the molecular targets of natural selection.
We aim to develop and exploit a massively multi-generational system where we can study the process of adaptation on scales ranging from molecules to phenotypes. Our purpose is to radically transform our understanding of how organisms and their populations cope with increasing stresses on ecosystems, by focusing biology's most modern tools towards discovering the molecular targets of natural selection and their contributions to the process of adaptation by phenotypic plasticity, epigenetics and conventional evolution. This knowledge will help policy makers and industry to refine their assessments of environmental health risks and prioritize actions that safeguard biodiversity and vital ecosystem services.
In scope with this NERC's call for "research that integrates ecological and evolutionary genetics", we will study the process of adaptation using a premier model species (Daphnia). Arguably, more is known about Daphnia's ecology than all other studied animals. They are keystone species in the food webs of aquatic ecosystems and early indicators of threats to ecosystem health and services. A large research community has established their importance as a model for ecological, toxicological and evolutionary research.
We propose to combine field and laboratory experiments to directly observe the processes of acclimation in physiological time scales (plasticity), with natural history experiments to directly observe genetic adaptation through evolutionary time (conventional evolution). Unique discoveries will be made because of Daphnia's parthenogenetic life cycle which alternates clonal and sexual reproduction. This allows for partitioning of phenotypic differences and changes in gene regulation (measured among individuals and populations) into genetic variation, environmental variation and gene-environment interactions for uncovering the molecular genetic and epigenetic basis of phenotypic plasticity. Few other model species produce dormant embryos as part of their life cycle, thereby archiving centuries of population genetic changes within dated lake sediments.
We will "resurrect" 100 Daphnia magna from a lake spanning 10 years of adaptation to hypereutrophication, then compete populations from periods that predate human interference to their more modern and adapted decedents. We will associate changes in their genomes, transcriptomes, epigenomes and metabolomes to the documented evolution of fitness related traits. Here we propose to uncover the regulatory pathways for the various modes of adaptation and directly test for a mechanistic link between phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of genetically fixed adaptive traits.
We will also infer the genetic basis for the regulatory pathways by discovering the quantitative trait loci that control variation in global mRNA and metabolic profiles for Daphnia including abundance and variance of expression. The segregating levels of variation at these loci will presumably reflect the capacity for populations to adapt and will provide a model to be validated by genome engineering.
Finally, we will advance the area of genome engineering (CRISPR) for research on the environment by experiments that will lead to predictive models of the limits of adaption in an ecologically essential species, and more generally, in metazoans that critically support the food chain of inland water ecosystems.
We aim to develop and exploit a massively multi-generational system where we can study the process of adaptation on scales ranging from molecules to phenotypes. Our purpose is to radically transform our understanding of how organisms and their populations cope with increasing stresses on ecosystems, by focusing biology's most modern tools towards discovering the molecular targets of natural selection and their contributions to the process of adaptation by phenotypic plasticity, epigenetics and conventional evolution. This knowledge will help policy makers and industry to refine their assessments of environmental health risks and prioritize actions that safeguard biodiversity and vital ecosystem services.
In scope with this NERC's call for "research that integrates ecological and evolutionary genetics", we will study the process of adaptation using a premier model species (Daphnia). Arguably, more is known about Daphnia's ecology than all other studied animals. They are keystone species in the food webs of aquatic ecosystems and early indicators of threats to ecosystem health and services. A large research community has established their importance as a model for ecological, toxicological and evolutionary research.
We propose to combine field and laboratory experiments to directly observe the processes of acclimation in physiological time scales (plasticity), with natural history experiments to directly observe genetic adaptation through evolutionary time (conventional evolution). Unique discoveries will be made because of Daphnia's parthenogenetic life cycle which alternates clonal and sexual reproduction. This allows for partitioning of phenotypic differences and changes in gene regulation (measured among individuals and populations) into genetic variation, environmental variation and gene-environment interactions for uncovering the molecular genetic and epigenetic basis of phenotypic plasticity. Few other model species produce dormant embryos as part of their life cycle, thereby archiving centuries of population genetic changes within dated lake sediments.
We will "resurrect" 100 Daphnia magna from a lake spanning 10 years of adaptation to hypereutrophication, then compete populations from periods that predate human interference to their more modern and adapted decedents. We will associate changes in their genomes, transcriptomes, epigenomes and metabolomes to the documented evolution of fitness related traits. Here we propose to uncover the regulatory pathways for the various modes of adaptation and directly test for a mechanistic link between phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of genetically fixed adaptive traits.
We will also infer the genetic basis for the regulatory pathways by discovering the quantitative trait loci that control variation in global mRNA and metabolic profiles for Daphnia including abundance and variance of expression. The segregating levels of variation at these loci will presumably reflect the capacity for populations to adapt and will provide a model to be validated by genome engineering.
Finally, we will advance the area of genome engineering (CRISPR) for research on the environment by experiments that will lead to predictive models of the limits of adaption in an ecologically essential species, and more generally, in metazoans that critically support the food chain of inland water ecosystems.
Planned Impact
deCODE is a research initiative that is genuinely motivated and focused on transforming environmental health protection. It is conceived by a newly formed (late 2012) and growing interdisciplinary "environmental genomics" research group at the University of Birmingham that has a purpose to deliver scientific leadership in the areas of environmental policy making, regulation and risk assessment, in the UK and abroad. Our approach is to use modern instruments for measuring structure and functional variation of genomes and metabolism of a superb model species (Daphnia) in evolutionary ecology and toxicology, to purposefully contribute mechanistic knowledge that is required to understand and help reduce uncertainty in managing a global and complex environmental health crisis.
Freshwater ecosystems have been described as the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Anthropogenic activities and pollution over the last two centuries have significantly altered the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and their resilience to change. Decision makers are besieged by a significant gap in knowledge required to take effective regulatory actions that protect natural resources and the lives of UK citizens while also safeguarding the UK economy from over-regulation that impacts people's livelihood. Such a delicate balance can only be reached by decisions that are informed by knowing how adaptive processes are controlled and evolve.
Who will benefit from deCODE (outside of related academics)? Policy and decision makers in the UK and EU will benefit most from the outcome of this research. Europe has taken extraordinary legislative steps to protect its natural resources, including the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which is meant to achieve "good ecological status" for all waters on the continent by a set deadline. Yet unlike the REACH legislation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals) - which has broadened the types of scientific evidence deemed to be useful for safety assessment and has therefore spurred a renaissance for the field of predictive toxicology now focused on discovering response mechanisms that lead to adversity - hazard assessment for ecosystems is still based on prescribed ecotoxicity testing. A mechanistically based approach is required in order to predict the tipping points at which populations reach their buffering capacity limits at coping with environmental change. We are actively collaborating with scientists at the JRC, Ispra, who are integral to the development of science-based policy for freshwater environmental protection in the UK and Europe. These scientists in the Institute for Environment and Sustainability will directly and significantly benefit from this research. Furthermore we are actively engaged (through existing NERC funding) with UK Environment Agency scientists, who will also benefit.
How will they benefit? Our research is designed to support WFD policy, by choosing to study response mechanisms of adaptation in a required test species for regulation (Daphnia included with an algal and a fish species). Moreover, our entire research project is about connecting signatures of population resilience to an urgent and specific environmental problem - hypereutrophication and the quality of freshwater supporting ecosystem services. Insights obtained from this model system have intrinsic value: freshwater ecosystems costs England and Wales over 220M EUR per year and the EU over 2B EUR per year. Our existing collaborations will enable dialogue and the input of this NERC funded science into both UK (via Environment Agency) and European (via JRC) regulatory science. We will begin to develop a brand new knowledge base and set of tools that will directly inform within immediate time-scales the development of policy and mitigation measures.
Freshwater ecosystems have been described as the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Anthropogenic activities and pollution over the last two centuries have significantly altered the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and their resilience to change. Decision makers are besieged by a significant gap in knowledge required to take effective regulatory actions that protect natural resources and the lives of UK citizens while also safeguarding the UK economy from over-regulation that impacts people's livelihood. Such a delicate balance can only be reached by decisions that are informed by knowing how adaptive processes are controlled and evolve.
Who will benefit from deCODE (outside of related academics)? Policy and decision makers in the UK and EU will benefit most from the outcome of this research. Europe has taken extraordinary legislative steps to protect its natural resources, including the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which is meant to achieve "good ecological status" for all waters on the continent by a set deadline. Yet unlike the REACH legislation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals) - which has broadened the types of scientific evidence deemed to be useful for safety assessment and has therefore spurred a renaissance for the field of predictive toxicology now focused on discovering response mechanisms that lead to adversity - hazard assessment for ecosystems is still based on prescribed ecotoxicity testing. A mechanistically based approach is required in order to predict the tipping points at which populations reach their buffering capacity limits at coping with environmental change. We are actively collaborating with scientists at the JRC, Ispra, who are integral to the development of science-based policy for freshwater environmental protection in the UK and Europe. These scientists in the Institute for Environment and Sustainability will directly and significantly benefit from this research. Furthermore we are actively engaged (through existing NERC funding) with UK Environment Agency scientists, who will also benefit.
How will they benefit? Our research is designed to support WFD policy, by choosing to study response mechanisms of adaptation in a required test species for regulation (Daphnia included with an algal and a fish species). Moreover, our entire research project is about connecting signatures of population resilience to an urgent and specific environmental problem - hypereutrophication and the quality of freshwater supporting ecosystem services. Insights obtained from this model system have intrinsic value: freshwater ecosystems costs England and Wales over 220M EUR per year and the EU over 2B EUR per year. Our existing collaborations will enable dialogue and the input of this NERC funded science into both UK (via Environment Agency) and European (via JRC) regulatory science. We will begin to develop a brand new knowledge base and set of tools that will directly inform within immediate time-scales the development of policy and mitigation measures.
Organisations
- University of Birmingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- Hebei University (Collaboration)
- MDI Biological Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of California, Berkeley (Project Partner)
- Indiana University Bloomington (Project Partner)
- North Carolina State University (Project Partner)
- University of Oxford (Project Partner)
- China National GeneBank (Project Partner)
Publications
Toyota K
(2019)
Transgenerational response to early spring warming in Daphnia.
in Scientific reports
Spanier KI
(2017)
Conserved Transcription Factors Steer Growth-Related Genomic Programs in Daphnia.
in Genome biology and evolution
Shaw JR
(2019)
Dynamics of Cadmium Acclimation in Daphnia pulex: Linking Fitness Costs, Cross-Tolerance, and Hyper-Induction of Metallothionein.
in Environmental science & technology
Orsini L
(2018)
Early transcriptional response pathways in Daphnia magna are coordinated in networks of crustacean-specific genes.
in Molecular ecology
Orsini L
(2016)
Daphnia magna transcriptome by RNA-Seq across 12 environmental stressors.
in Scientific data
Orsini L
(2016)
Temporal genetic stability in natural populations of the waterflea Daphnia magna in response to strong selection pressure.
in Molecular ecology
O'Grady CJ
(2022)
Refining the evolutionary time machine: An assessment of whole genome amplification using single historical Daphnia eggs.
in Molecular ecology resources
Nogués-Bravo D
(2018)
Cracking the Code of Biodiversity Responses to Past Climate Change.
in Trends in ecology & evolution
Title | Additional file of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Description | Additional file of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/media/Additional_file_of_Roundup_causes_embryonic_devel... |
Title | Additional file of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Description | Additional file of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/media/Additional_file_of_Roundup_causes_embryonic_devel... |
Description | Chair, Institute for Advanced Studies Workshop Environment Care - Mapping the Chemosphere |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Chair, International Environment Care Consortium Meeting, Hebei University, Baoding, China |
Geographic Reach | Asia |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | This meeting of the Environment Care Consortium assembled researchers, legal experts, public health practitioners and governance experts including NGOs from the UK, China, India, Bangladesh and the USA to plan for a major investment by the Hebei Province in China of 20 million pound towards the establishment of the The International Center for Precision Environmental Health and Governance. |
URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2018/10/universities-plan-joint-institute.aspx |
Description | Contract training for the European Chemicals Agency on Omics applied to regulation |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | Professors Mark Viant and John Colbourne are contracted to provide a series 1.5-day long education and training of regulators at the European Chemicals Agency on the use of Omics and model species for testing the potential environment and human health risks of chemicals. |
Description | Contract training for the European Chemicals Agency on Omics applied to regulation |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | Professors Mark Viant and John Colbourne are contracted to provide a series 1.5-day long education and training of regulators at the European Chemicals Agency on the use of Omics and model species for testing the potential environment and human health risks of chemicals. |
Description | Development, Validation and Regulatory Acceptance of New Approach Methodologies in Chemical Risk Assessment |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | European Food Safety Authority: Animal-free, next-generation risk assessment ready by 2026 |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Global Environmental Research Committee |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Invited Expert for Defra UK and Japan Environment Ministry workshop on endocrine disrupting chemicals |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Invited Expert to the European Chemicals Agency Member State Committee, Helsinki, Finland |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Invited Expert, Accelerating the Pace of Chemical Risk Assessment Workshop, UK / US / Japan / Canada Chemical Regulators |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Invited Expert, Accelerating the Pace of Chemical Risk Assessment Workshop, UK/US/Canada Chemical Regulators, Research Triangle Park, USA |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Invited Expert, Future of UK Environmental Health Protection for Defra, Public Health England, Health Safety Executive & Environment Agency, London, UK |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Invited Expert, Omics in risk assessment: state-of-the-art and next steps, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Berlin, Germany |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
Impact | A Summary Report was published on this 24th EFSA colloquium on "OMICS in risk assessment: state-of-the-art and next steps". |
Description | Invited Expert, Towards Precision Toxicology, European Union Directorate General Joint Research Centre, Italy |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Invited Expert: Future of UK Environmental Health Protection for Defra, Public Health England, Health Safety Executive & Environment Agency |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Invited Expert: International workshop on advanced chemical safety assessment technologies |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | Professor John Colbourne was invited to the Joint Meeting of Analytical Toxicology and Computational Toxicology Committee (Chinese Society of Toxicology) and International Workshop on Advanced Chemical Safety Assessment Technologies to provide guidance on the establishment of a new Society for Computational and Systems Toxicology and to align Chinese interests in environmental health protection research with those of the international Environment Care Consortium, which University of Birmingham leads. |
Description | NERC: Chemicals in the environment scoping workshop |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Professor John Colbourne participated in a workshop aimed to identify the key environmental research priorities needed to underpin management of chemicals in the environment relevant to the UK, with a view to potentially developing new collaborative research activity. The workshop assembled experts from Government policy and regulation, industry, civil society and environmental science perspectives to: • scope priority challenges in chemicals management with regards to the natural environment • identify emerging research questions and opportunities to apply new techniques and approaches to address the issues, considering novelty and timeliness • determine approaches and partnerships needed to effectively translate research into practice e.g. enable risk-based decision making and uptake into policy measures • determine future UK research capacity needed to support management of chemical impacts in the natural environment |
Description | NERC: Short course in Environmentmental Omics |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | A NERC funded short course to guide genomics and metabolomics research applied to environmental sciences. This annual training course highlights a multi-omics (system biology) approach to research in environmental sciences. It trains PhD students and early career postdoctoral scientists to investigate how gene function and metabolism are influenced by environmental conditions while accounting for variation that exists within and among natural populations. The course is built on the paradigm that this multidisciplinary research field encompassing ecology, evolution, toxicology, biostatistics and informatics will most effectively grow by training early career environmental scientists to properly design comprehensive, large-scale, Next Generation Sequencing and Metabolomics experiments enabled by drastically increased sample-throughput and lower costs. Most importantly, the challenges of manipulating and analysing population-level omics (big) data must be addressed. The course provided a significant introduction and much hands-on training experience so that participants can initiate their own environmental omics study and network with others in the field to launch Environmental Scientist careers in academia and industry. Case studies using multi-omics data sets collected at the University of Birmingham are provided so that students can gain practical experience of analysing and integrating multi-omics data. Daphnia is used for training because of its growing use as a model system in the environmental sciences and for improving environmental health protection, yet the skills learned during the course are applicable to all study systems with mature genomics and metabolomics resources. |
Description | New Approach Methodologies, UK Defra online training, UK |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | OECD Extended Advisory Group for Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | http://www.oecd.org/chemicalsafety/testing/toxicogenomics.htm |
Description | OECD Working Party on Hazard Assessment |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Provided advice and guidance on the future use of New Approach Methodologies for better chemical regulation for the protection of the environement. |
Description | Science Advisory Board, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics |
Geographic Reach | North America |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Scientific Reviewer for CSIRO Future Science Platform proposals |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Professor John Colbourne was invited to advise on a new intramural research program for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. CSIRO is the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia. Its chief role is to improve the economic and social performance of industry, for the benefit of the community. |
Description | Shaping Britain's Chemical Future |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Training programme in New Approach Methodologies |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | The workshop's main aim was to increase the risk assessors' understanding of how to use data produced by NAMs for assessing chemical hazards, within the Nordic countries. It also aimed to improve the assessors' ability to use NAMs data in drafting proposals for regulatory actions under the chemical regulations REACH and CLP. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) defines NAMs as methods that bring greater robustness, throughput and/or mechanistic knowledge into risk assessment, enabling more relevant decision making for human health and the environment. Aligned to this definition, the focus in the workshop was on new methods utilising molecular mechanistic data to support grouping and the read-across of chemicals. This workshop also served to facilitate a discussion about the identified obstacles in the implementation of NAMs in regulatory processes and to identify strategies for increasing their use in read-across and grouping processes. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) drafted this report after the workshop, detailing the recommendations and needs for further actions by ECHA. |
URL | https://pub.norden.org/temanord2022-526/#103616 |
Description | Alan Turing Fellowship |
Amount | £162,577 (GBP) |
Organisation | Alan Turing Institute |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 10/2021 |
Description | BRIDGE: Seed Fund for collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2016 |
End | 04/2017 |
Description | CASE: Novel approaches to characterise the exposome: Enabling discovery of associations between pollutants and environmental health |
Amount | £96,776 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/N008820/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2016 |
End | 04/2020 |
Description | Daphne Water Solutions (DWS): a game changer for developing countries |
Amount | £14,696 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2019 |
End | 07/2020 |
Description | Daphne water solutions for the removal of emerging pollutants from wastewater: market assessment and technical feasibility |
Amount | £8,325 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/S015515/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 07/2019 |
Description | Frontiers of Engineering. The circularity of biological wastewater treatment. |
Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2019 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | Genetic Factors that Influence Arsenic Toxicity |
Amount | $876,998 (USD) |
Organisation | National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
Department | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences |
Sector | Public |
Country | United States |
Start | 11/2018 |
End | 11/2023 |
Description | International Collaboration Awards for Research Professors |
Amount | £369,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | IC160121 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2016 |
End | 11/2021 |
Description | MetaboFlow - the development of standardised workflows for processing metabolomics data to aid reproducible data sharing and big data initiatives |
Amount | £190,915 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 202952/C/16/Z |
Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2017 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | Multi-view learning and quantitative genetics to identify the molecular basis of adaptation to chemical pollutants |
Amount | € 224,933 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 101028700 |
Organisation | Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Global |
Start | 04/2021 |
End | 04/2023 |
Description | Next generation tools for the annotation of metabolites in global LC-MS metabolomic studies |
Amount | £113,285 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/N023013/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2016 |
End | 04/2017 |
Description | PrecisionTox: New Approach Methodologies for Chemical Safety |
Amount | € 19,305,583 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 965406 |
Organisation | European Commission H2020 |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 02/2021 |
End | 01/2026 |
Description | Probing the metabolic response of induced diapause in the crustacean Daphnia |
Amount | £35,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2016-2017-NBAF973 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Department | NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility (NBAF) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2016 |
End | 04/2017 |
Description | Quantifying community metabolomes within model freshwater ecosystems and their responses to pollutants, NERC iCASE and Thermo Fisher Scientific |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/R008191/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start |
Description | Ultrahigh sensitivity metabolomics: opening a window into the metabolic evolution of a sentinel invertebrate through the industrial revolution |
Amount | £98,292 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 1935325 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start |
Description | Validation of in silico predictions of metabolic changes in the waterflea Daphnia exposed to abiotic stress |
Amount | £37,300 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2016-2017-NBAF974 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Department | NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility (NBAF) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2016 |
End | 04/2017 |
Title | Protocol for assay of transposase accessiblechromatin sequencing in non-model species |
Description | The assay for transposase accessible chromatin (ATAC-seq) is a method for map-ping genome-wide chromatin accessibility. Coupled with high-throughput sequencing, it enables integrative epigenomics analyses. ATAC-seq requires direct access to cell nuclei, a major challenge in non-model species such as small invertebrates, whose soft tissue is surrounded by a protective exoskeleton.Here,we present modifications of the ATAC-seq protocol for applications in small crustaceans, extending applications to non-model species. |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Still too early. No citations yet. |
URL | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100341 |
Title | Additional file 1 of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Description | Additional file 1. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Additional_file_1_of_Roundup_causes_embryonic_d... |
Title | Additional file 1 of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Description | Additional file 1. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Additional_file_1_of_Roundup_causes_embryonic_d... |
Title | Additional file of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Description | Additional file of Roundup causes embryonic development failure and alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Additional_file_of_Roundup_causes_embryonic_dev... |
Title | Data from: Evolution of thermal tolerance in multifarious environments |
Description | Species extinction rates are many times greater than the direst predictions made two decades ago by environmentalists, largely because of human impact. Major concerns are associated with the predicted higher recurrence and severity of extreme events, such as heat waves. Although tolerance to these extreme events is instrumental to species survival, little is known whether and how it evolves in natural populations, and to what extent it is affected by other environmental stressors. Here, we study physiological and molecular mechanisms of thermal tolerance over evolutionary times in multifarious environments. Using the practice of 'resurrection ecology' on the keystone grazer Daphnia magna, we quantified genetic and plastic differences in physiological and molecular traits linked to thermal tolerance in historical and modern genotypes of the same population. This population experienced an increase in average temperature and occurrence of heat waves, in addition to dramatic changes in water chemistry, over five decades. On genotypes resurrected across the five decades, we measured plastic and genetic differences in CTmax, body size, Hb content and differential expression of four heat shock proteins after exposure to temperature as single stress and in combination with food levels and insecticide loads. We observed evolution of the critical thermal maximum and plastic response in body size, HSP expression and Hb content over time in a warming only scenario. Molecular and physiological responses to extreme temperature in multifarious environments were not predictable from the response to warming alone. Underestimating the effect of multiple stressors on thermal tolerance can lead to wrong estimates of species evolvability and persistence. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.3fb854n |
Title | Data from: Haemoglobin-mediated response to hyper-thermal stress in the keystone species Daphnia magna |
Description | Anthropogenic global warming has become a major geological and environmental force driving drastic changes in natural ecosystems. Due to the high thermal conductivity of water and the effects of temperature on metabolic processes, freshwater ecosystems are among the most impacted by these changes. The ability to tolerate changes in temperature may determine species long-term survival and fitness. Therefore, it is critical to identify coping mechanisms to thermal and hyper-thermal stress in aquatic organisms. A central regulatory element compensating for changes in oxygen supply and ambient temperature is the respiratory protein haemoglobin (Hb). Here, we quantify haemoglobin (Hb) plastic and evolutionary response in D. magna (sub)populations resurrected from the sedimentary archive of a lake with known history of increase in average temperature and recurrence of heat waves. By measuring constitutive changes in crude Hb protein content among (sub)populations we assessed evolution of the haemoglobin gene family in response to temperature increase. To quantify the contribution of plasticity in the response of this gene family to hyper-thermal stress, we quantified changes in Hb content in all (sub)populations under hyper-thermal stress as compared to non-stressful temperature. Further, we tested competitive abilities of genotypes as a function of their Hb content, constitutive and induced. We found that haemoglobin (Hb)-rich genotypes have superior competitive abilities as compared to Hb-poor genotypes under hyper-thermal stress after a period of acclimation. These findings suggest that whereas long-term adjustment to higher occurrence of heat waves may require a combination of plasticity and genetic adaptation, plasticity is most likely the coping mechanism to hyper-thermal stress in the short term. Our study suggests that with higher occurrence of heat waves Hb-rich genotypes may be favoured with potential long-term impact on population genetic diversity |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.t3j32 |
Title | Data from: Predictability of the impact of multiple stressors on the keystone species Daphnia |
Description | Eutrophication and climate change are two of the most pressing environmental issues affecting up to 50% of aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of environmental change are complicated by inherent difficulties of predicting the long-term impact of multiple stressors on natural populations. Here, we investigated the impact of temperature, food levels and carbamate insecticides, in isolation and in combination, on current and historical populations of the freshwater grazer Daphnia. We used common garden and competition experiments on historical and modern populations of D. magna 'resurrected' from a lake with known history of anthropogenic eutrophication and documented increase in ambient temperature over time. We found that these populations response dramatically differed between single and multiple stressors. Whereas warming alone induced similar responses among populations, warming combined with insecticides or food limitation resulted in significantly lower fitness in the population historically exposed to pesticides. These results suggest that the negative effect of historical pesticide exposure is magnified in the presence of warming, supporting the hypothesis of synergism between chemical pollution and other stressors. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.cp45ht6 |
Title | Data from: Thermal tolerance in the keystone species Daphnia magna -a candidate gene and an outlier analysis approach |
Description | Changes in temperature have occurred throughout Earth's history. However, current warming trends exacerbated by human activities impose severe and rapid loss of biodiversity. Although understanding the mechanisms orchestrating organismal response to climate change is important, remarkably few studies document their role in nature. This is because only few systems enable the combined analysis of genetic and plastic responses to environmental change over long time-spans. Here, we characterize genetic and plastic responses to temperature increase in the aquatic keystone grazer Daphnia magna combining a candidate gene and an outlier analysis approach. We capitalize on the short generation time of our species, facilitating experimental evolution, and the production of dormant eggs enabling the analysis of long term response to environmental change through a resurrection ecology approach. We quantify plasticity in the expression of 35 candidate genes in D. magna populations resurrected from a lake that experienced changes in average temperature over the past century and from experimental populations differing in thermal tolerance isolated from a selection experiment. By measuring expression in multiple genotypes from each of these populations in control and heat treatments we assess plastic responses to extreme temperature events. By measuring evolutionary changes in gene expression between warm and cold adapted populations we assess evolutionary response to temperature changes. Evolutionary response to temperature increase is also assessed via an outlier analysis using EST-linked microsatellite loci. This study provides the first insights into the role of plasticity and genetic adaptation in orchestrating adaptive responses to environmental change in D. magna. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.q7c00 |
Title | Historical exposure to chemicals reduces tolerance to novel chemical stress in Daphnia (waterflea) |
Description | Until the last few decades, anthropogenic chemicals used in most production processes didn't have a comprehensive assessment of their risk and impact on wildlife and humans. They are transported globally and usually end up in the environment as unintentional pollutants causing long-term adverse effects. Modern toxicology practises typically use acute toxicity tests of unrealistic concentrations of chemicals to determine their safe use, missing pathological effects arising from long-term exposures to environmentally relevant concentrations. Here, we study the transgenerational effect of environmentally relevant concentrations of five chemicals on the priority list of international regulatory frameworks on the keystone species Daphnia magna. We expose Daphnia genotypes resurrected from the sedimentary archive of a lake with a known history of chemical pollution to the five chemicals to understand how historical exposure to chemicals influences adaptive responses to novel chemical stress. We measure within and transgenerational plasticity in fitness-linked life history traits following exposure of 'experienced' and 'naive' genotypes to novel chemical stress. As the revived Daphnia originates from the same genetic pool sampled at different times in the past, we are able to quantify the long-term evolutionary impact of chemical pollution by studying genome-wide diversity and identifying functional pathways affected by historical chemical stress. Our results suggest that historical exposure to chemical stress causes reduced genome-wide diversity, leading to lower cross-generational tolerance to novel chemical stress. Lower tolerance is underpinned by reduced gene diversity at detoxification, catabolism and endocrine genes in experienced genotypes. We show that these genes sit within pathways that are conserved and potential chemical targets in other species, including humans. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | N/A |
URL | http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.4xgxd2591 |
Title | Phenotypic and environmental data for Lake Ring, Denmark, Daphnia magna population, 1955-2010 |
Description | This dataset contains fitness-linked life history traits, environmental data, and protein and gene expression data for Daphnia magna. Life history data were measured in common garden experiments. For each clone of the same genotype across all experiments, size at maturity (distance between the head and the base of the tail spine), age at maturity (first time eggs were observed in the brood chamber), fecundity (total number of offspring released summing first and second brood), and mortality were measured. Critical thermal maximum (CTmax) was measured on the experimental animals. Environmental data consisted of Secchi disk depth (water transparency) ; total phosphorous; and total nitrogen for the years 1971-1999; a record of pesticides 1955-2010; temperature records over the past century 80 km from Lake Ring. Organic and carbonate contents of the sediment was estimated using the loss on ignition (LOI) method. Hb protein data consisted of constitutive Hb protein crude content animals reared in normoxic (saturated oxygen level) conditions at two experimental temperatures, 20 and 30°C. Heat shock protein expression was measured in four heat shock proteins (HSP20, HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90). Total RNA, qPCR, mean CT (cycle threshold) value per sample and per protein were collected. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | N/A |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/13f878dc-ef87-45d5-be8c-5733c88c30e9 |
Title | Roundup causes embryonic development failure, alters metabolic pathways and gut microbiota functionality in non-target species |
Description | Background: Research around the weedkiller Roundup is among the most contentious of the 21st century. Scientists have provided inconclusive evidence that the weedkiller causes cancer and other life-threatening diseases, while industry-paid research reports that the weedkiller has no adverse effect on humans or animals. Much of the controversial evidence on Roundup is rooted in the approach used to determine safe use of chemicals, defined by outdated toxicity tests.We apply a system biology approach to the biomedical and ecological model species Daphnia to quantify the impact of Glyphosate and of its commercial formula, Roundup, on fitness, genome-wide transcription and gut microbiota, taking full advantage of clonal reproduction in Daphnia. We then apply machine learning-based statistical analysis to identify and prioritize correlations between genome-wide transcriptional and microbiota changes. Results: We demonstrate that chronic exposure to ecologically relevant concentrations of Glyphosate and Roundup at the approved regulatory threshold for drinking water in the US induce embryonic developmental failure, significant DNA damage (genotoxicity), and interfere with signaling. Furthermore, chronic exposure to the weedkiller alters the gut microbiota functionality and composition interfering with carbon and fat metabolism, as well as homeostasis. Using the 'Reactome', we identify conserved pathways across the Tree of Life, which are potential targets for Roundup in other species, including liver metabolism, inflammation pathways and collagen degradation, responsible for the repair of wounds and tissue remodeling. Conclusions: Our results show that chronic exposure to concentrations of Roundup and Glyphosate at the approved regulatory threshold for drinking water causes embryonic development failure, and alteration of key metabolic functions via direct effect on the host molecular processes and indirect effect on the gut microbiota. The ecological model species Daphnia occupies a central position in the food web of aquatic ecosystems, being the preferred food of small vertebrates and invertebrates as well as a grazer of algae and bacteria. The impact of the weedkiller on this keystone species has cascading effects on aquatic food webs, affecting their ability to deliver critical ecosystem services. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.mcvdncjws |
Description | Birmingham and Hebei Universities plan joint environmental health and justice research institute |
Organisation | Hebei University |
Country | China |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The University of Birmingham and Hebei University have signed an agreement to set up a joint research institute that will help to tackle major global problems linked to environmental pollution and injustice. Our team had worked over three years to create this opportunity, from funds provided by the Hebei Province of China. |
Collaborator Contribution | The institute will combine science and social science research - for example, setting the global policy agenda by combining understanding of how individuals and economy respond to environmental policy with scientific research identifying problems and how they might be solved. The Institute will focus on investigating solutions to a range of issues, namely: pollution from multiple sources; public health crises caused by environmental toxicity concentrated among the poorest and most vulnerable populations; and the failure of regulatory efforts to tackle these issues. The Institute brings together scientists, lawyers, engineers and health experts in Baoding, Hebei Province, located near China's Xiong'an New District, to create a hub for the international Environment Care Consortium, for postgraduate education and for research training, pursuing research funding opportunities in China and the UK and speeding up the development of new and sustainable industries in both countries. |
Impact | The International Center for Precision Environmental Health and Governance is still under development. Professor John Colbourne has accepted a Guest Professorship at Hebei University to continue to build momentum around this opportunity. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Environment Care Foundation |
Organisation | MDI Biological Laboratory |
Country | United States |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The Environment Care Consortium is a grassroots collaboration of researchers and professionals from over fifty institutions in twelve countries that grew since 2012 with the primary purpose of advancing our understanding of, and response to, toxic substances in our environment. The ECC is led by University of Birmingham backed by Indiana University and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, USA. Its mission statement commits "to offer leadership at making the environment safe from chemicals and to defend people's rights to a healthful environment". The consortium's work is to apply action research that combines international partnerships with advances in science and law to understand the chemicals around us and lead the way in stopping them from causing harm to both humans and ecosystems. |
Collaborator Contribution | Together we have created a Foundation that is headquartered in Maine USA for the purpose of attracting charitable donations to solve pollution, primarily in key low and middle income countries such as Madagascar. |
Impact | The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation named our project, to improve health in Madagascar, as one of the highest-scoring proposals (designated as the Top 100) in its 100&Change competition for a $100 million grant to help solve one of the world's most critical social challenges. Our Environment Care Consortium joins Indiana University with Pure Earth and other partners forming the Solve Pollution Network. By having received this recognition, our project is now featured in the Foundation's Lever for Change Bold Solutions Network, designed to unlock significant philanthropic capital by helping donors find and fund vetted, high-impact opportunities to improve people's lives. So far, MacArthur has raised an additional $419 million to support bold solutions. |
Start Year | 2019 |
Company Name | Michabo Health Science |
Description | Michabo Health Science develops safety regulations and procedures for use when working with chemicals. |
Year Established | 2020 |
Impact | Michabo Health Science is the scientific consultant for the European Chemicals Agency. |
Website | https://michabo.co.uk/ |
Description | "Ecological seminar and discussion Series: Science Chat" at Bremen University (Germany) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Graduate student presented the talk "Bringing back one hundred years of evolution in one afternoon" to an audience made-up of researchers from multiple departments at the University of Bremen, on 19th November 2018. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | 13th Annual Arthropod Genomics Symposium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Keynote address: 12th Annual Arthropod Genomics Symposium, June 12-14, 2019, Kansas city, State University, USA |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.k-state.edu/agc/ags/index.html |
Description | 16th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Graduate student presented the talk: "Forecasting species persistence to future global change by learning from past evolutionary dynamics" The European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB) 16th Congress was organized by the European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB) and was held during Aug 20 - 25, 2017 at MartiniPlaza, Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.emedevents.com/c/medical-conferences-2017/european-society-for-evolutionary-biology-eseb... |
Description | 20th Congress of the Iberian Association of Limnology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Keynote address: 20th Congress of the Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL-2020) and III Ibero-American Congress of Limnology (CIL-2020). 22nd-26th June, 2020, Murcia, Spain |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | 22nd European Meeting of PhD students in Evolutionary Biology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A graduate student presented the talk: "Forecasting species persistence to future Global Change" in Gotland. Sweden on 11-15/09/2016 . |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | 4th International Symposium of the Spanish researchers UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A graduate student presented the poster: "Past, present and future: the evolutionary cost of hyper-eutrophication" in London on 9-10/7/2016. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | 51st Populations Genetics Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The formal talk was delivered by a graduate student: "Evolution of thermal tolerance in multifarious environments over five decades of Global Change" The Population Genetics Group (Popgroup) meets annually and is hosted at alternating locations throughout the UK. The meeting name was established in the 1960s, but today's topics include most areas of evolutionary genetics and genomics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.genetics.org.uk/events/pop-group/ |
Description | 5th International Symposium of the Spanish researchers in UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A Spanish national graduate student presented the following talk: Talk: "Climate Change on aquatic ecosystems" in London on 7-9/07/2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | A Roadmap for Precision Environmental Health |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | A Roadmap for Precision Environmental Health, September 3, 2018. National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Back to the future with the evolutionary time machine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Keynote address: Back to the future with the evolutionary time machine. World Water Day: water for all, 22nd of March 2019, Birmingham, UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Biosciences Graduate Research School Symposium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A graduate student presented the talk: Studying the effect of anthropogenic stress on aquatic ecosystem 70 students attended this annual symposium at our School of Biosciences. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | CIMA/CMRA Epigenetics Meeting: Daphnia, a versatile model for understanding epigenetic control |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Leda Mirbahai was invited to inform on the biological attributes of Daphnia for epigenomics research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicity Research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | International Toxicity Conclave, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicity Research, Lucknow, India |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Café Scientific Public Talk: Science for Environmental Justice |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Globally, pollution kills three times more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined, accounting for one in four deaths in the poorest countries. How can polluters be so destructive in a world that has exceptional scientific capabilities and governed by laws to defend people's rights to a healthy environment? Professors Robert Lee and John Colbourne argue that laws have not kept pace with scientific developments useful for establishing causation between exposure to pollution and harm, while science has ignored applications to establish causation between polluters and the victims of pollution. They propose an achievable solution to environmental injustice that is born out of interdisciplinary collaboration and coordination. Both science and law are necessary to achieve environmental justice. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Chinese Academy of Science: Workshop for environmental research collaboration |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Discussions focused on identifying a joint project, tied to a significant environmental problem that would benefit from the combined research interests and expertise of UoB and CAS. Following on from a recently awarded Royal Society International Collaboration award to Professors John Colbourne and Liang-Hong Ghuo to examine the utility of biomolecular signatures to monitor, diagnose and assure water quality in the Qiantang-Hangzhou Coastal-Megacity Watershed, we decided to coordinate an interdisciplinary research project for safeguarding a natural watershed and environment-sensitive economy that 20 millions people depend upon. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Co-Chair, Workshop for the Solve Pollution Network, Antananarivo, Madagascar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Many organizations, from both inside and outside Madagascar, gathered and formed a consortium to work together to fight pollution in Madagascar. Our common proposal, titled "Overcoming Madagascar's Number One Killer: Pollution" was submitted to MacArthur Foundation and has received favourable reviews. Our request for substantial financial support to implement Madagascar's Health and Pollution Action Plan is seriously being considered, and for good reasons; we have assembled the right team and know--how to work with the Malagasy to enact positive change that can save lives. To further develop our proposal, the consortium held a two--day workshop in Antananarivo, Madagascar, from 29th to 30th of January 2020. The attendees were invited to participate in the design of projects that will, within five years, reduce exposure to pollution and improve the health of half the Malagasy population. During the workshop, participants broke into expertise--based groups corresponding to the six pillars corresponding to the core elements of the Madagascar's Health and Pollution Acton Plan. Each group discussed the mechanisms of implementing the plan, probable immediate outcomes, long--term goals as well as risks and obstacles, later summarised by the appointed rapporteurs to prompt further exchange among the full gathering of participants. Attendees also discussed the alignment of the proposal with the priorities established in the Health and Pollution Action Plan. The workshop proved to be crucial aid in the recognition of the combined strength of the partnership. The discussions allowed in recognising and reducing both perceived and real risks that can prevent us from achieving our goals, so that together we will have a better chance of being awarded the necessary funding to successfully implement the Action Plan in an effective manner. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://solvepollution.iu.edu/index.html |
Description | Contaminants in the San Francisco Bay-Delta: Novel Tools and Approaches to Evaluate Effects of Multiple Stressors |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Professor's John Colbourne and Ben Brown were invited to participate at this sponsored event by the Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Science Program), UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute (CMSI) and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). This day-long symposium aimed to inform scientists and managers on the status of effect-based novel tools and approaches developed for toxicological studies, and how their use can be integrated to evaluate impacts of multiple stressors on the San Francisco-Bay Delta ecosystem. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Cracking the code of past biodiversity responses to climate change |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | August 2018: Media coverage for the review article on Cracking the code of past biodiversity responses to climate change, Trends in Ecology and Evolution (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2018/08/animals-and-plants-react-to-climate-change-study.aspx; https://www.science.ku.dk/english/press/news/2018/adapt-move-or-die-how-biodiversity-reacted-to-past-climate-change/). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2018/08/animals-and-plants-react-to-climate-change-study.as... |
Description | ESEB2018, II Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Orsini, L. The role of genome structural variation on plastic and constitutive phenotypic divergence in multifarious environments. Symposium 'The role of genomic structural variants in adaptation and diversification', ESEB2018, II Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology - Montpellier, France. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Environmental and (eco)toxicological omics and epigenetics meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Dr Leda Mirbahai co-organized and co-chaired this focused joint meeting between the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and the UK Environmental Omics Synthesis Centre (iEOS). The meeting results in a review paper on the topic to be published in the society professional scientific publication. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Exploring opportunities to implement the 3Rs for chemical safety assessment |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Exploring opportunities to implement the 3Rs for chemical safety assessment, British Toxicology Society and NC3Rs workshop, April 5, 2022. Newcastle, UK. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Gordon Research Conference in Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited speaker, Gordon Research Conference in Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity, USA |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | II Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The following talk was delivered by a graduate student: "Adaptive responses to Global Warming over five decades of evolution" Joint Congresses take place every six years and bring together four of the world's largest academic societies in the field of evolutionary biology: the European Society for Evolutionary Biology, the American Society of Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Society of Systematic Biologists. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.evolutionmontpellier2018.org/ |
Description | II Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology (2) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Luisa Orsini presented the talk: "The role of genomic structural variants in adaptation and diversification". Joint Congresses take place every six years and bring together four of the world's largest academic societies in the field of evolutionary biology: the European Society for Evolutionary Biology, the American Society of Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Society of Systematic Biologists. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.evolutionmontpellier2018.org/ |
Description | International day of Woman in Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | A graduate student presented and discussed her experience as a woman in science at local primary schools in Spain, in celebration of International day of Woman in Science on 12th February 2019. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://ceipalfares.blogspot.com/2019/02/dia-de-la-mujer-y-la-nina-en-la-ciencia.html |
Description | Interview: Inspiring women in science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In March 2019, Dr Orsini was interviewed in occasion of the Woman day - social media coverage 'Inspiring women in science' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Interview: World Water Day, Water for all |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In February 2019, Dr Orsini was interviewed in occasion of the World Water Day-Water for all organized by the Birmingham Water Council to increase awareness about water challenges https://youtu.be/A9gnFOGCSQ4. The interview has to this day had 419 views. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://youtu.be/A9gnFOGCSQ4 |
Description | Invited Seminar at the Biological Station of Doñana (CSIC). Seville, Spain |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A graduate student presented the invited talk: "Bringing back one hundred years of evolution in one afternoon" on 15th November 2018. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Luisa Orsini presents invited talk "Back to the future with the evolutionary time machine" for a departmental seminar at University of Bath, UK. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | New opportunities for NAM development |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | New opportunities for NAM development and what can be achieved by Precision Toxicology, February 23-24, 2022. Session Chair at BTS/NC3R/HSE CRD Two half-days virtual workshop on NAMs, Virtual meeting. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | OpenTox Asia 2017 Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | OpenTox Asia 2017 Conference. Daejeon, Korea. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Podcast 'Brilliant minds working at the Turing' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | promoting biodiversity and AI science to colleagues and the generla public |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.turing.ac.uk/people/spotlights/luisa-orsini |
Description | Research Event: Birmingham Strikes Back |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In November 2019 the Star Wars Research Event - "Birmingham Strikes Back" organized by the University of Birmingham in which Dr Orsini was an invited speaker reached 11,000 views, 193 comments and 32 shares. The science podcast and the lecture described the process of long-term evolution using Daphnia as a model species, using parallels to Han Solo frozen in carbonite. If you missed #birminghamstrikesback, you can view it again on the UoB Facebook channel https://facebook.com/unibirmingham/); https://www.facebook.com/unibirmingham/videos/2507829439303910. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/socsci/events/future-fest/events/birmingham-strikes... |
Description | Roadmap to Environmental Health |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Keynote "Roadmap to Environmental Health", 10th Nat. Conf. on Env. Chemistry, Tianjin, China |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Ruhr-Universität Bochum: Daphnia model system for environmental genomics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Professor John Colbourne was invited to present a departmental seminar. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Slightly Evolved, a weekly science podcast for science outreach |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Dr Luisa Orsini was interviewed for a 45 minute podcast on Swedish podcast "Slightly Evolved". |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://soundcloud.com/slightlyevolvedpod |
Description | The evolutionary time machine unravels the mechanisms of contemporary evolution |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Keynote address: The evolutionary time machine unravels the mechanisms of contemporary evolution. Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) 2019, Contemporary Evolution symposium. 21-25 July, 2019, Manchester, UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Toxicity by Descent |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Toxicity by Descent: A Comparative Approach for Chemical Hazard Assessment, Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, January 25, 2023. University of Cambridge, UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Toxicity by descent: a modern chemical hazard assessment framework |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Toxicity by descent: a modern chemical hazard assessment framework, November 6, 2019. SETAC North American Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, California USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Luisa Orsini presented an invited seminar attended by scientists at the Joint Genome Center, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | University College London |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | University of Leicester |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Orsini, L. Evolutionary time traveling: resurrecting the past to deal with the future. University of Leicester. 22nd March 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | University of Lund |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Orsini, L. Evolutionary time traveling reveals 'ecological surprises' to global change response in the wild. University of Lund, Denmark. 22nf of February 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | University of Lund, Sweden |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Luisa Orsini presented an invited seminar: "Evolutionary time traveling reveals 'ecological surprises' to global change response in the wild" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Visit by Professor GUO Jian, Hebei University Party Secretary, China |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Visit towards a China-UK Partnership for Environmental Research |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | World Water Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | University of Birmingham is hosting an international event to bring attention to the water science related expertise in Birmingham. Luisa Orsini leads the School of Biosciences team partly because of the advances being made with deCODE. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/water-sciences/world-water-day/index.aspx |
Description | World Water Day - Water for all |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Dr Luisa Orsini was interview for media campaign to bring awareness to water resource issues, organized by the Birmingham Water Council. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | panellist Queen Baton Relay event on women in STEMM |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | UK-India Women in STEMM' organised by the British High Commission in India as part of the Queen's Baton Relay and build-up to the Commonwealth games |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | science podcast on the model species Daphnia and its role in Precision Toxicology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | science podcast to promote the se of sentinel specie in environmental toxicology |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://precisiontox.org/voxlab/ |