Publications by Renata Behra | EPFL Graph Search

Fate and effects of microplastic particles in a periphyton-grazer system

Renata Behra, Kristin Schirmer, Ahmed Tlili

In the aquatic environment, microplastic particles (MP) can accumulate in microbial communities that cover submerged substrata, i.e. in periphyton. Despite periphyton being the essential food source for grazers in the benthic zones, MP transfer from periph ...

Elsevier Sci Ltd2024

Influence of Microplastics on Microbial Structure, Function, and Mechanical Properties of Stream Periphyton

Renata Behra, Kristin Schirmer, Ahmed Tlili

Periphyton is a freshwater biofilm composed of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities that occupy rocks and sediments, forming the base of the food web and playing a key role in nutrient cycling. Given the large surface that periphyton comprises, it may al ...

FRONTIERS MEDIA SA2022

Long-term exposure to silver nanoparticles affects periphyton community structure and function

Renata Behra, Kristin Schirmer, Ahmed Tlili

2018

Interaction of silver nanoparticles with algae and fish cells: a side by side comparison

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer, Xiaomei Li

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are widely applied and can, upon use, be released into the aquatic environment. This raises concerns about potential impacts of AgNP on aquatic organisms. We here present a side by side comparison of the interaction ...

Biomed Central Ltd2017

Silver nanoparticle-protein interactions in intact rainbow trout gill cells

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer

Upon contact with biota, nanoparticles can bind to proteins, which coat the nanoparticles and form a nanoparticle-protein corona. Knowledge of corona proteins is therefore important for a mechanistic understanding of how nanoparticles interact with biomole ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2016

Silver nanoparticles inhibit fish gill cell proliferation in protein-free culture medium

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer

While short-term exposures of vertebrate cells, such as from fish, can be performed in defined, serum-free media, long-term cultures generally require addition of growth factors and proteins, normally supplied with a serum supplement. However, proteins are ...

Taylor & Francis Ltd2016

Silver nanoparticle toxicity and association with the alga Euglena gracilis

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Kristin Schirmer, Xiaomei Li, Laetitia Bernard

The impact of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on aquatic algae has largely been studied with model species that possess a rigid cell wall. Here, we explored the interactions of AgNPs with Euglena gracilis, a green alga having no cell wall but a pellicle. The ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2015

Effect of Ozone Treatment on Nano-Sized Silver Sulfide in Wastewater Effluent

Renata Behra, Urs von Gunten

Silver nanoparticles used in consumer products are likely to be released into municipal wastewater. Transformation reactions, most importantly sulfidation, lead to the formation of nanoscale silver sulfide (nano-Ag2S) particles. In wastewater treatment pla ...

American Chemical Society2015

Silver Nanoparticle Effects on Stream Periphyton During Short-Term Exposures

Renata Behra, Kristin Schirmer, Ahmed Tlili

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are increasingly used as antimicrobials in consumer products. Subsequently released into aquatic environments, they are likely to come in contact with microbial communities like periphyton, which plays a key role as a primary pr ...

Amer Chemical Soc2015

Toxicity of silver nanoparticles to a fish gill cell line: Role of medium composition

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer

In aqueous solutions, silver nanoparticle (AgNP) behavior is affected by a variety of factors which lead to altered AgNP size and toxicity. Our research aims to explore the effect of media composition on citrate-coated AgNP (cit-AgNP) behavior and toxicity ...

Informa Healthcare2015

Critical influence of chloride ions on silver ion-mediated acute toxicity of silver nanoparticles to zebrafish embryos

Renata Behra, Kristin Schirmer

The toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) to aquatic organisms, including zebrafish (Danio rerio), has been demonstrated, but differing opinions exist on the contribution of the physical properties of the particles themselves and the free dissolved silve ...

Informa Healthcare2015

Chemical Aspects of Nanoparticle Ecotoxicology

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer, Hannah Inka Schug

Nanoecotoxicology strives to understand the processes and mechanisms by which engineered nanoparticles (ENP) may exert toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Detailed knowledge of the chemical reactions of nanoparticles in the media and of their interactions ...

Swiss Chemical Soc2014

Linking toxicity and adaptive responses across the transcriptome, proteome, and phenotype of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exposed to silver

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Kristin Schirmer

Understanding mechanistic and cellular events underlying a toxicological outcome allows the prediction of impact of environmental stressors to organisms living in different habitats. A systems-based approach aids in characterizing molecular events, and the ...

National Academy of Sciences2014

Multiple-endpoint assay provides a detailed mechanistic view of responses to herbicide exposure in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Renata Behra, Kristin Schirmer

The release of herbicides into the aquatic environment raises concerns about potential detrimental effects on ecologically important non-target species, such as unicellular algae, necessitating ecotoxicological risk assessment. Algal toxicity tests based o ...

2012

Modeling the concentration–response function of the herbicide dinoseb on Daphnia magna (survival time, reproduction) and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (growth rate)

Renata Behra, Kristin Becker van Slooten, Joseph Tarradellas

2005