Browsing by Author "Thunders M"

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    Consequences of Cadmium exposure on growth and reproduction across three generations of earthworm
    (Conference organisers, 29/06/2018) Dharmadasa P; Kim N; Li Y; Thunders M
    Heavy metal pollution disturbs the soil ecosystem by negatively affecting soil fauna and flora. In term of biomass and activity Annelids are a very important part of the soil invertebrate community. They are one of the first organisms affected by heavy metal contamination in soil and as such are good model organisms for assessing soil contamination. The aim of this research is to observe how Cd impacts on health and reproduction in three consecutive generations of E. fetida. [...]
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    Differential gene expression in earthworms exposed to different concentrations of Cadmium
    (Conference organisers, 29/06/2018) Thunders M; Dharmadasa P; Kim N
    Introduction. Cadmium (Cd) is a common contaminant found in many foods, accumulates throughout life and, in high doses, is a significant health hazard for humans. Cadmium is of interest because its concentration in agricultural soils has become elevated over time; with dietary intake in Western countries often close to tolerable limits. Analysis of change in gene expression in response to environmental stressors could potentially aid in risk assessment and biomarker development for human studies. Eisenia fetida are commonly used in ecotoxicological studies. Object. To look at the impact of cadmium concentration on gene expression through comparative analysis of transcriptome data from E. fetida exposed to zero, low, medium and high doses of cadmium. Methods. Artificial soil was spiked with three different Cd solutions [...]