Britta McKinnon, “Impact of Cerium Oxide and Silica Nanoparticles on the Freshwater Microalgae, Raphidocelis subcapitata”
Mentor: Rebecca Klaper, Freshwater Sciences, Freshwater Sciences (School of)
Poster #191
The use of nanoparticles is rapidly expanding across numerous fields, including agriculture, health, and cosmetics. Subsequently, these nanoparticles inevitably end up within our environment, leaving a lasting impression on ecosystems. Strengthening the knowledge of the effects of CeO2 and SiO2, two commonly used nanoparticles, on the algae R. subcapitata will enable researchers to gauge how these nanoparticles impact a central freshwater organism. This foundational knowledge will serve as a baseline for future research towards improving safety in industries utilizing nanoparticles. According to previous research, Cerium Oxide nanoparticles were shown to stimulate positive attributes to plant growth and survival while similarly, Silica nanoparticles are shown to assist in biotic and abiotic stress resistance within plant organisms. Studies regarding the safety of both CeO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles in microalgae, with a range of concentrations and long-term exposure, remain lacking. To clarify the underlying mechanisms and concentrations relating to the nanoparticles, control treatments were compared to three experimental concentrations of each nanoparticle. High-content image analysis and reactive oxygen species measurements were used to determine impacts of exposure. I hypothesize that both Silica and Cerium Oxide nanoparticles will result in ROS alterations while impacting the morphology and growth inhibition of the R. subcapitata algal cells. With these results, we can gain an understanding on the crucial doses of these nanoparticles and their influence on living cells.