CAS-MNP: From the mother to the offspring: nanoplastic transfer and toxicity in aquatic species

About This Grant

Nanoplastics are nanoscale polymer particles that are difficult to see and detect but are highly mobile and widespread in the environment and biota. Evidence shows they can cause negative effects on organisms. Knowledge gaps exist regarding how nanoplastics enter the body, how they can be passed from mother to offspring, and long-term effects across multiple generations. This project will address two overlooked questions: (1) how do nanoplastics transfer from mother to offspring, and (2) how does maternal exposure pose long-lasting effects on future generations? The research team will investigate fundamental processes and mechanisms controlling the transgenerational transfer and toxicity of nanoplastics. The results will advance our understanding of the generation-lasting effects of nanoplastics on aquatic species and beyond. In the long term, this project will help guide the manufacture, use, and disposal of current and emerging plastic materials. The project will help promote sustainability and foster future generations of scientists/engineers. The project will be integrated with a freshmen course that provides Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience. Additionally, accessible scientific kits will be developed through partnering with the New York State Master Teacher Program. The scientific kits will be pilot tested in a summer camp through collaboration with the Go Green Institute and disseminated to the broader community through multiple platforms. This project will bridge knowledge gaps in the transgenerational behavior and toxicity of nanoplastics. The research will be driven by three objectives: 1) synthesize detectable nanoplastics with well-characterized features as model materials; 2) identify the mechanisms of mother-to-offspring nanoplastic transfer; and 3) determine the causative pathways of nanoplastic exposure and transgenerational effects by integrating empirical biological measures with structural equation modeling. Trackable and quantifiable nanoplastic models will be created as a reliable, versatile, and quantitative approach to monitor nanoplastics in biological matrices. The team will use in-situ confocal surface-enhanced Raman imaging and ex-situ inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to detect nanoplastic transfer and bio-interactions across different generations. Biological pathways and factors that lead to nanoplastic toxicity will be defined by integrating experimental data (transfer, phenotypic, genetic, and epigenetic changes) with structural equation modeling. The findings will help determine the key mechanisms for the occurrence, transport, distribution, and impacts of nanoplastics across different generations. The model materials and approaches will facilitate transdisciplinary studies on nanoscale interaction in different biological systems, which will help predict which components and processes are most affected. Furthermore, this project will identify plastic materials that are safer for living organisms and facilitate sustainable polymer design and manufacture. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.