The rapid increase of the presence of nanotechology-based products in a wide number of commercial goods requires a rapid assessment of possible toxic effects upon interaction of nanomaterials (NMs) with living systems. In this context, we investigate the in vivo genotoxicity of AuNPs and QDs with different sizes, surface coatings, and nanostructuration, upon ingestion by Drosophila melanogaster. In particular, we evaluated the presence of DNA damage in Drosophila tissues, such as midgut and/or hemolymph. Our results showed that DNA fragmentation depends on different physical parameter of nanomaterials. However, the most striking result was the demonstration that the long-term exposure to AuNPs may result in the presence of significant phenotypic aberrations in the progeny of treated organisms. These results open new questions about the indiscriminate use of nanomaterials, thus highlighting that the investigation of different toxic aspects are crucial in order to realize safer NMs.

Nanomaterials genotoxicity in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>

244th National Meeting (2012)

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Nanomaterials genotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster