Understanding the impacts of nanomaterials on the environment requires confirmation of the mechanisms by which they may impact individuals, populations and communities of organisms. Many studies focus on oxidative stress as a mechanism of nanomaterial impact and yet oxidative stress can be fleeting or an adaptive response. There are many studies that show other pathways may be affected that have a direct relationship to metabolism, reproduction, and immune function. Molecular indicators of these mechanisms may provide a more global description of impact that can predict population impacts for multiple classes of organism and ultimately community level impacts. This paper will describe the mechanisms implicated to date and investigations by our lab regarding the links between molecular mechanisms and larger scale impacts. In addition, we will describe the potential use of these methods to illuminate the properties of nanomaterials that can dictate their impact and could be used for determining the sustainability of other nanomaterial forms.

Mechanisms for nanomaterial toxicity: Linking the molecular to the population and community level environmental response

248th National Meeting (2014)

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