What?

POLAR‑TOX examines how the endocrine disruptor BPA affects Antarctic fish, focusing on physiological stress, molecular responses, and gut‑microbiome changes using archived intestinal tissues.

Why?

Antarctic species are highly sensitive to pollution due to their evolution in ultra‑pristine conditions, making it essential to understand pollutant impacts to support conservation and risk‑assessment efforts in the Southern Ocean.

How?

The project combines biomarker assays, gene‑expression analyses, and microbiome characterization to build an integrated framework for studying contaminant effects in polar organisms, while fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange through EuroMarine channels.

About

Contaminants of emerging concern are increasingly detected in Antarctic ecosystems, posing potential risks to native species that evolved under historically pristine conditions. Among these contaminants, bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread endocrine disruptor whose toxicological effects on polar marine organisms remain largely unknown.

The POLAR-TOX project investigates the effects of BPA exposure on Antarctic fish using a multi-level biological approach that integrates host physiology, molecular stress responses, and gut microbiome dynamics. By analysing archived intestinal tissues from Antarctic fish, the project explores how pollutant exposure interacts with host–microbiota relationships under extreme polar conditions.

Key Objectives

• Assess oxidative stress and inflammatory responses to BPA exposure in Antarctic fish
• Characterise mucosa-associated gut microbiomes under contaminant stress
• Explore mechanistic links between pollutant exposure, host physiology, and microbiota dynamics
• Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and leadership among early-career researchers

Expected Outcomes

• Preliminary datasets on oxidative stress biomarkers and gene expression under BPA exposure
• Culture-based characterisation of Antarctic fish gut microbiota
• Integrated methodological framework linking toxicology and microbiome research in polar species
• Dissemination of results through scientific communication and EuroMarine channels

Expected Impact

POLAR-TOX advances understanding of pollutant–host–microbiome interactions in one of the world’s most vulnerable marine environments. The project contributes novel insights to polar ecotoxicology, supports evidence-based conservation and risk assessment frameworks for the Southern Ocean, and strengthens early-career researcher capacity in interdisciplinary marine science.