Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Mutagenesis

Environmental mutagenesis

• Toxicity of environmental matrices and molecules/substances of interest in plant cells and human cell lines
• Mutagenicity/genotoxicity of environmental matrices assessed through short-term tests on bacteria, plant cells, donor-derived human cells, and human cell lines using different genetic endpoints (gene mutations, chromosomal alterations, DNA damage)
• Mutagenicity/genotoxicity of molecules/substances of interest (new formulations and products already in use, e.g. detergents, resins, new antifungal molecules, plastics, etc.)
  
  Biological monitoring
• Assessment of mutagenic/carcinogenic risks in living and working environments through the use of exposure biomarkers (detection of mutagenic metabolites in urine using bacterial mutagenicity tests) and early biological effect biomarkers (primary DNA damage and oxidative stress-related DNA damage, and micronuclei in blood or mucosal cells)