Francisca Fernández-piñas | Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (original) (raw)

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Papers by Francisca Fernández-piñas

Research paper thumbnail of Microplastic pollution in sublittoral coastal sediments of a North Atlantic island: The case of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain)

Research paper thumbnail of Luminescent Microbial Bioassays and Microalgal Biosensors as Tools for Environmental Toxicity Evaluation

Handbook of Cell Biosensors

Research paper thumbnail of A pilot study about microplastics and mesoplastics in an Antarctic glacier

Research paper thumbnail of Ecotoxicological Assessment of Antibiotics in Freshwater Using Cyanobacteria

Research paper thumbnail of First detection of microplastics in the freshwater of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial colonizers of microplastics in an Arctic freshwater lake

Science of The Total Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Occurrence and transport of microplastics sampled within and above the planetary boundary layer

Science of The Total Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Viable Microorganisms on Fibers Collected within and beyond the Planetary Boundary Layer

Research paper thumbnail of Microplastics as vectors of the antibiotics azithromycin and clarithromycin: Effects towards freshwater microalgae

Research paper thumbnail of Peroxiredoxin (2-cys-prx) and catalase (katA) cyanobacterial-based bioluminescent bioreporters to detect oxidative stress in the aquatic environment

Research paper thumbnail of Combined toxicity of graphite-diamond nanoparticles and thiabendazole to Daphnia magna

Science of The Total Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Occurrence and identification of microplastics along a beach in the Biosphere Reserve of Lanzarote

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Research paper thumbnail of Hyperbranched polymeric nanomaterials impair the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna

Research paper thumbnail of Combined toxicity of graphene oxide and wastewater to the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Environmental Science: Nano

The toxic action of graphene oxide (GO) and the micropollutants contained in a biologically-treat... more The toxic action of graphene oxide (GO) and the micropollutants contained in a biologically-treated wastewater were studied alone and in combination.

Research paper thumbnail of Bio-Nano Interface and Environment: A Critical Review

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Research paper thumbnail of Physicochemical and biological interactions between cerium oxide nanoparticles and a 1,8-naphthalimide derivative

Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology

Research paper thumbnail of Microplate freeze-dried cyanobacterial bioassay for fresh-waters environmental monitoring

Chemosphere

Microorganisms have been very useful in environmental monitoring due to their constant sensing of... more Microorganisms have been very useful in environmental monitoring due to their constant sensing of the surrounding environment, their easy maintenance and low cost. Some freeze-dried toxicity kits based on naturally bioluminescent bacteria are commercially available and commonly used to assess the toxicity of environmental samples such as Microtox (Aliivibrio fischeri) or ToxScreen (Photobacterium leiognathi), however, due to the marine origin of these bacteria, they could not be the most appropriate for fresh-waters monitoring. Cyanobacteria are one of the most representative microorganisms of aquatic environments, and are well suited for detecting contaminants in aqueous samples. This study presents the development and application of the first freeze-dried cyanobacterial bioassay for fresh-water contaminants detection. The effects of different cell growth phases, cryoprotectant solutions, freezing protocols, rehydration solutions and incubation conditions methods were evaluated and the best combination of these parameters for freeze-drying was selected. The study includes detailed characterization of sensitivity towards reference pollutants, as well as, comparison with the standard assays. Moreover, long-term viability and sensitivity were evaluated after 3 years of storage. Freeze-dried cyanobacteria showed, in general, higher sensitivity than the standard assays and viability of the cells remained after 3 years of storage. Finally, the validation of the bioassay using a wastewater sample was also evaluated. Freeze-drying of cyanobacteria in 96-well plates presents a simple, fast and multi-assay method for environmental monitoring.

Research paper thumbnail of Calcium mediates the cellular response of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to the emerging aquatic pollutant Triclosan

Aquatic Toxicology, 2017

The present study was aimed at investigating the role of intracellular free calcium, [Ca(2+)]c, i... more The present study was aimed at investigating the role of intracellular free calcium, [Ca(2+)]c, in the early cellular response of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to the emergent pollutant Triclosan (13.8μM; 24h of exposure). There is a growing concern about the persistence and toxicity of this antimicrobial in aquatic environments, where non-target organisms such as C. reinhardtii, a primary producer of ecological relevance, might be severely impacted. A mechanistic study was undertaken which combined flow cytometry protocols, physiological as well as gene expression analysis. As an early response, Triclosan strongly altered [Ca(2+)]c homeostasis which could be prevented by prechelation with the intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM. Triclosan induced ROS overproduction which ultimately leads to oxidative stress with loss of membrane integrity, membrane depolarization, photosynthesis inhibition and mitochondrial membrane depolarization; within this context, Triclosan also induced an increase in caspase 3/7 activity and altered the expression of metacaspase genes which are indicative of apoptosis. All these adverse outcomes were dependent on [Ca(2+)]c. Interestingly, an interconnection between [Ca(2+)]c alterations and increased ROS formation by Triclosan was found. Taken altogether these results shed light on the mechanisms behind Triclosan toxicity in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and demonstrate the role of [Ca(2+)]c in mediating the observed toxicity.

Research paper thumbnail of Erratum to: Polyvinylpyrrolidone and arsenic-induced changes in biological responses of model aquatic organisms exposed to iron-based nanoparticles

Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Hidden drivers of low-dose pharmaceutical pollutant mixtures revealed by the novel GSA-QHTS screening method

Science Advances, 2016

The ecological impacts of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals are not well understood. Th... more The ecological impacts of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals are not well understood. The lack of experimental approaches for the identification of pollutant effects in realistic settings (that is, low doses, complex mixtures, and variable environmental conditions) supports the widespread perception that these effects are often unpredictable. To address this, we developed a novel screening method (GSA-QHTS) that couples the computational power of global sensitivity analysis (GSA) with the experimental efficiency of quantitative high-throughput screening (QHTS). We present a case study where GSA-QHTS allowed for the identification of the main pharmaceutical pollutants (and their interactions), driving biological effects of low-dose complex mixtures at the microbial population level. The QHTS experiments involved the integrated analysis of nearly 2700 observations from an array of 180 unique low-dose mixtures, representing the most complex and data-rich experimental mixture e...

Research paper thumbnail of Microplastic pollution in sublittoral coastal sediments of a North Atlantic island: The case of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain)

Research paper thumbnail of Luminescent Microbial Bioassays and Microalgal Biosensors as Tools for Environmental Toxicity Evaluation

Handbook of Cell Biosensors

Research paper thumbnail of A pilot study about microplastics and mesoplastics in an Antarctic glacier

Research paper thumbnail of Ecotoxicological Assessment of Antibiotics in Freshwater Using Cyanobacteria

Research paper thumbnail of First detection of microplastics in the freshwater of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Research paper thumbnail of Microbial colonizers of microplastics in an Arctic freshwater lake

Science of The Total Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Occurrence and transport of microplastics sampled within and above the planetary boundary layer

Science of The Total Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Viable Microorganisms on Fibers Collected within and beyond the Planetary Boundary Layer

Research paper thumbnail of Microplastics as vectors of the antibiotics azithromycin and clarithromycin: Effects towards freshwater microalgae

Research paper thumbnail of Peroxiredoxin (2-cys-prx) and catalase (katA) cyanobacterial-based bioluminescent bioreporters to detect oxidative stress in the aquatic environment

Research paper thumbnail of Combined toxicity of graphite-diamond nanoparticles and thiabendazole to Daphnia magna

Science of The Total Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Occurrence and identification of microplastics along a beach in the Biosphere Reserve of Lanzarote

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Research paper thumbnail of Hyperbranched polymeric nanomaterials impair the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna

Research paper thumbnail of Combined toxicity of graphene oxide and wastewater to the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Environmental Science: Nano

The toxic action of graphene oxide (GO) and the micropollutants contained in a biologically-treat... more The toxic action of graphene oxide (GO) and the micropollutants contained in a biologically-treated wastewater were studied alone and in combination.

Research paper thumbnail of Bio-Nano Interface and Environment: A Critical Review

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Research paper thumbnail of Physicochemical and biological interactions between cerium oxide nanoparticles and a 1,8-naphthalimide derivative

Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology

Research paper thumbnail of Microplate freeze-dried cyanobacterial bioassay for fresh-waters environmental monitoring

Chemosphere

Microorganisms have been very useful in environmental monitoring due to their constant sensing of... more Microorganisms have been very useful in environmental monitoring due to their constant sensing of the surrounding environment, their easy maintenance and low cost. Some freeze-dried toxicity kits based on naturally bioluminescent bacteria are commercially available and commonly used to assess the toxicity of environmental samples such as Microtox (Aliivibrio fischeri) or ToxScreen (Photobacterium leiognathi), however, due to the marine origin of these bacteria, they could not be the most appropriate for fresh-waters monitoring. Cyanobacteria are one of the most representative microorganisms of aquatic environments, and are well suited for detecting contaminants in aqueous samples. This study presents the development and application of the first freeze-dried cyanobacterial bioassay for fresh-water contaminants detection. The effects of different cell growth phases, cryoprotectant solutions, freezing protocols, rehydration solutions and incubation conditions methods were evaluated and the best combination of these parameters for freeze-drying was selected. The study includes detailed characterization of sensitivity towards reference pollutants, as well as, comparison with the standard assays. Moreover, long-term viability and sensitivity were evaluated after 3 years of storage. Freeze-dried cyanobacteria showed, in general, higher sensitivity than the standard assays and viability of the cells remained after 3 years of storage. Finally, the validation of the bioassay using a wastewater sample was also evaluated. Freeze-drying of cyanobacteria in 96-well plates presents a simple, fast and multi-assay method for environmental monitoring.

Research paper thumbnail of Calcium mediates the cellular response of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to the emerging aquatic pollutant Triclosan

Aquatic Toxicology, 2017

The present study was aimed at investigating the role of intracellular free calcium, [Ca(2+)]c, i... more The present study was aimed at investigating the role of intracellular free calcium, [Ca(2+)]c, in the early cellular response of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to the emergent pollutant Triclosan (13.8μM; 24h of exposure). There is a growing concern about the persistence and toxicity of this antimicrobial in aquatic environments, where non-target organisms such as C. reinhardtii, a primary producer of ecological relevance, might be severely impacted. A mechanistic study was undertaken which combined flow cytometry protocols, physiological as well as gene expression analysis. As an early response, Triclosan strongly altered [Ca(2+)]c homeostasis which could be prevented by prechelation with the intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM. Triclosan induced ROS overproduction which ultimately leads to oxidative stress with loss of membrane integrity, membrane depolarization, photosynthesis inhibition and mitochondrial membrane depolarization; within this context, Triclosan also induced an increase in caspase 3/7 activity and altered the expression of metacaspase genes which are indicative of apoptosis. All these adverse outcomes were dependent on [Ca(2+)]c. Interestingly, an interconnection between [Ca(2+)]c alterations and increased ROS formation by Triclosan was found. Taken altogether these results shed light on the mechanisms behind Triclosan toxicity in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and demonstrate the role of [Ca(2+)]c in mediating the observed toxicity.

Research paper thumbnail of Erratum to: Polyvinylpyrrolidone and arsenic-induced changes in biological responses of model aquatic organisms exposed to iron-based nanoparticles

Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Hidden drivers of low-dose pharmaceutical pollutant mixtures revealed by the novel GSA-QHTS screening method

Science Advances, 2016

The ecological impacts of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals are not well understood. Th... more The ecological impacts of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals are not well understood. The lack of experimental approaches for the identification of pollutant effects in realistic settings (that is, low doses, complex mixtures, and variable environmental conditions) supports the widespread perception that these effects are often unpredictable. To address this, we developed a novel screening method (GSA-QHTS) that couples the computational power of global sensitivity analysis (GSA) with the experimental efficiency of quantitative high-throughput screening (QHTS). We present a case study where GSA-QHTS allowed for the identification of the main pharmaceutical pollutants (and their interactions), driving biological effects of low-dose complex mixtures at the microbial population level. The QHTS experiments involved the integrated analysis of nearly 2700 observations from an array of 180 unique low-dose mixtures, representing the most complex and data-rich experimental mixture e...