METABOLISM · MEchanical sTABility Of phosphoLIpids bilayerS in the presence of Microplastics
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2023-06-01 → 2026-05-31
- EU contribution
- €261,381
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
MEchanical sTABility Of phosphoLIpids bilayerS in the presence of Microplastics
The proliferation of microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals," represents a pressing global environmental and health crisis. These persistent pollutants are now ubiquitous, found in everything from drinking water and food to human blood and organs, with PFAS linked to significant health risks, including cancer. Microplastics can act as vectors for other contaminants like PFAS, exacerbating their environmental impact. However, a fundamental understanding of how these pollutants, with their complex sizes, and chemical compositions, interact with living systems at the cellular level is critically lacking. The METABOLISM project addresses this knowledge gap by aiming to adapt and develop advanced physicochemical and biophysical techniques to understand the adsorption, attachment, and mechanical disruption of fluid interfaces and lipid bilayers—which mimic cell membranes—in the presence of these contaminants. The project's central objective is to create an integrated platform to simultaneously image and measure interfacial changes, thereby quantifying the dysfunction induced by pollutants. By investigating these interactions, METABOLISM seeks to provide crucial new knowledge on the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastic pollution and highlight the urgent need for improved remediation strategies.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
In recent years, the number of microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5 mm) in the environment has exploded and is expected to continue to increase in the coming years. They are now found in the air we breathe, in drinkable water, in food and even in human blood or organs. Unfortunately, this pollution issue is accentuated by the environmental contamination with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS), known as ""forever chemicals"" and linked to cancer problems. These chemicals are also found everywhere, up to the human body and tend to adsorb on plastics. However, the understanding of the interaction of PFAS or microplastics with complex shapes, sizes and chemical compositions on living systems is missing. METABOLISM seeks therefore at adapting physicochemical and biophysical techniques and models to understand the adsorption/attachment of these systems, the stretching dynamics and the unzipping mechanism of lipid bilayers, mimicking cell membranes in the presence of contaminants. The project aims at developing an integrated platform to simultaneously image and measure the stress distribution within the bilayers and the adhesion forces at play, in order to quantify the dysfunction of the cell machinery. The stability of lung cells will also be probed to have new insight into the damaging induced by pollution on relevant living systems. Gaining understanding about this problematic will provide important new knowledge on the impact of contaminants on health and highlight the need to improve remediation strategies.""
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- FUNDACION BIOFISICA BIZKAIA / BIOFISIKA BIZKAIA FUNDAZIOA · LeioaCoordinatorSpain
- THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA · OaklandUnited States
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101104426
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e51bd2e7ce&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union