Whole transcriptome analysis of the Tanaid Monokalliapseudes schubarti exposed to contaminated sediments

• Grant number: 25/08901-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Lucas Buruaem Moreira
• Grantee: Agatha Kyara Rodrigues Dorte
• Host Institution: Instituto do Mar (IMar). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/00068-8 - Whole transcriptome analysis of benthic organisms as models to estimate toxic effects of contaminated sediments in marine environments, AP.BTA.JP

Abstract

Few benthic models are used in sediment toxicity tests in Brazil. For those already widely used, knowledge regarding the toxicity mechanisms activated by exposure in the test, which generate effects at different levels of biological organization, is incipient. As an important model, the tanaid Monokalliapseudes schubarti, tolerant to different compounds, stands out. For the species, standardized protocols focus only on lethal effect parameters without elucidating the mechanisms of toxicity. Therefore, the objective of this study is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms associated with the initiating events of toxicity through whole-transcriptome analysis of M. schubarti exposed to contaminated sediments. From the exposure, total RNA will be isolated and sequenced using the NextSeq platform. The readings generated by sequencing, combined with the assembly of contigs, enabled the annotation of genes, with the help of databases such as GeneBank and Gene Ontology. A functional annotation will then be performed to identify the main molecular responses associated with exposure to contaminants, which can assist in the development of biomarkers for these species (AU)