Leader of the research group
Group members
Activity of the research group:
The research group was established in 2021 from the previous Adaptive Neuroethological Research Group supported by National Brain Program (NAP2.0) and Chemical Ecology Research Group.
Mission of the research group:
Complex (eco)physiological and toxicological investigations of the effects of both natural and anthropogenic pollutants detected in Lake Balaton on aquatic invertebrate and lower vertebrate species in a top-down approach with model multidisciplinary applications. An important part of our mission is to communicate the practical implications of our scientific findings to the decision makers, water authorities, nature conservationists, and also to the public.
Tasks of the research group:
1) Monitoring of the presence of natural and anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., cianotoxins, drug residues, UV-filters, pesticides, rodenticides, microplastics) in Lake Balaton. Chemical characterization of aquatic environment (water body, sediment, phyto- and zooplankton, phyto-and zoobenthos, macrophyton, macro invertebrates, fish) with special attention to the spatio-temporal variations of pollution sources as well as identification, quantification and adsorption of different pollutants.
2) Investigation of the long-term combined effects of climate change and anthropogenic stressors in aquatic ecosystems. We examine the changes of the abiotic environmental factors (e.g., extreme temperature, salinity, pH, and redox processes) caused by climate change on the physiological functions and adaptive ability of major animal taxa (zooplankton, arthropods, mollusks, fish). Characterization of molecular underpinnings of adaptation.
3) In the framework of field studies, we analyze the effects of anthropogenic pollution of wetlands on the general condition, reproductive capacity, and cellular and molecular level changes of aquatic invertebrate and fish indicator organisms. At the population level, we obtain information by comparing the condition indices of individuals collected from more polluted (e.g., harbors, beaches, around treated sewage inlets) and more protected (e.g., nature conservation bays) areas.
4) In controlled laboratory experiments, we investigate the individual and mixture effects of pollutants on (neuro)physiological functions (feeding, locomotion, breathing, development, reproduction, learning) of representative aquatic model organisms from laboratory-bred animals at the individual, tissue, cell and molecular levels (top-down approach), using multidisciplinary (physiological, histological, biochemical, molecular, genetic) methods. At the cellular level, we map the mechanism of action of toxicity on oxidative stress and biotransformation systems, as well as investigate neurophysiological effects on identified cells and simple neural networks during exposure to environmentally relevant complex pollutant mixtures. At the molecular level (mRNA), we investigate the expression changes of known stress markers (e.g. GnRH/CRZ, CREB, DJ- 1, p38alpha, JNK1, etc.).
5) A complex environmental condition assessment of Lake Balaton and the development of a reliable exposure- and biomarker-based wetland monitoring strategy based on environmental analytical surveys, environmental risk assessment and the general toxicity of pollutants. In this way, we can determine the general condition of the organisms inhabiting the given wetland in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way, and at the same time we can weight the importance of the complex stress effects on the aquatic community from natural and anthropogenic sources on the environment.
