Dr Nanna Brande-Lavridsen is a Research Associate on the EU funded Horizon 2020 project PATROLS.

Project: Physiologically Anchored Tools for Realistic nanOmateriaL hazard aSsessment (PATROLS)

Principal Investigator: Prof Ted Henry

Prior to engaing in the PATROLS project she was an NSF postdoctoral research fellow in the Center for Environmental Biotechnology and Department of Forestry Wildlife and Fisheries at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.

NSF CBET Project title:  Effects of ingestion of manufactured nanoparticles on endogenous microbiota and pathogen resistance in rainbow trout

Principal Investigator: Prof Ted Henry

Background/interests:

My main interest lies in aquatic toxicology and animal physiology/endocrinology.

From 2007-2014, I was a postdoctoral researcher on various projects at the University of Southern Denmark, Denmark, working mainly with the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals and other xenobiotics on fish. In 2015, I was at Uppsala University, Sweden, and used the frog Xenopus tropicalis as a model species to investigate the effects of various endocrine disrupting chemicals on reproductive physiology including gonadal development and vitellogenin expression. In between appointments as a postdoctoral researcher, I worked in a consultancy firm, AmphiConsult and was engaged with environmental monitoring and frog conservation.

I have a Ph.D. from University of Southern Denmark, Denmark, with thesis research on endocrine disruption in frogs, and a Master degree from Washington State University, USA.

Project research focus:

Nanotechnology is a rapid expanding field as nanoparticles (particles ranging in size between 1-100 nm in diameter) are being increasingly exploited by a variety of industries for their unique properties, and these nanoparticles are now to be found in many consumer product and industrial applications. However, knowledge of potential adverse effects on animals and environment is still scarce and information is urgently needed.

Silver- and copper- nanoparticles are extensively used in applications such as water purification, medical treatments, fabric treatments, hygine products, toys etc. due to their antimicrobial properties. They are subsequently released into waste and surface waters. Exposure and ingestion of these particles by aquatic wildlife is a likely event; however, the effects of ingestion, especially in fish, are not understood. It is very plausible that nanoparticles can cause toxicity/adverse effects by altering the microbiota in the gut and/or cause physiological effects in the whole digestive system such as damage to the gut epithelium, alterations in nutrient uptake, and lesions in the liver and kidneys. In addition to direct nutritional effects, changes in the digestive system may lead to immunological effects and greater susceptibility to pathogen infection.