Mélanie Villeret
INERIS: Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques
Direction des Risques Chroniques
Unité d'évaluation des risques écotoxicologiques
Equipe biomarqueurs et tests in vitro
Parc Technologique ALATA
BP 2
60550 Verneuil en Halatte
tel : 03 44 61 81 48
fax : 03 44 55 66 05
e-mail : melanie.villeret@ineris.fr
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Research activities
Developement of tools that consider aquatic environment contamination by (anti-)androgenic compounds.
To evaluate the early effects of the contamination of aquatic environments in fish, the bullhead (Cottus gobio) seems to be a pertinent model. This small fish is, indeed, widely found in European freshwater ecosystems, ecosystems that in turn, display a large range of contamination levels. Several field experiments demonstrated how useful this species can be to measure a group of complementary biomarkers in varied pollution contexts (e.g. Bucher et al., 1992; 1993; this work). Previous works found evidence of syaloglycoprotein in kidney, which could be used as an androgenic biomarker comparable to the spiggin in stickleback (Hentschel, 1982; Bucher and Hofer, 1992). Hence, the aims of this Ph D are to develop and validate a biomarker of androgenicity and to develop and implement a specific assay.
To reach these objectives we need to:
- - Identify a marker under androgenic control and develop a method of specific quantification. The first step of this work will thus be to outline whether the syaloglycoprotein synthesis (thought to have a comparable effect as the stickleback spiggin) is under androgenic control. To do this, bullheads will be exposed to known, androgenic molecules and a range of parameters will be considered, including nephro-somatic index, protein concentration and histological analysis of renal tissues. If syaloglycoprotein synthesis reveal to be under androgenic regulation, we will undertake characterisation and purification steps to gather the data needed for developing and implementing a specific assay. Otherwise, i.e. if syaloglycoprotein is not under androgenic control, an exploratory work based on comparative proteomic analyses will be carried out to identify other proteins, which could be used as biomarkers of androgenic exposure.
- - Characterise the response of this biomarker in monitoring and field conditions. The first step will consist of determining the sensitivity, the specificity, the inducibility and the reversability of the response under controlled conditions. For this purpose, fish will be exposed to reference androgens and to environmental contaminants known for their androgenic activity. Characterisation of these parameters will be examined in situ, in sites known for being under androgenic stress (in vitro tests, spigging measures).
This work will permit to detect, examine and characterise unknown, androgen-regulated biomarkers and may provide novel options to develop assessment strategies of androgen contamination accross European freshwater ecosystems, in line with the EU Water Framework Directive .
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Education
2009-2012 : PhD in developing tools that consider the (anti-) androgenic contamination of aquatics environments ; INERIS, Verneuil-en-hallatte (60).
2007-2009 : Master degree in Reproduction, option 'Human Procreation, Biotechnology and Biomedical Research (AMP: aided medical procreation, toxicology of the reproduction, laboratory animals)' at the
University François Rabelais of Tours (France)
2004-2007 : Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Living Science at the University François Rabelais of Tours (France)
