Multilevel effects of environmental contamination

The aim of the course is to understand the impact of common pollutants on biological targets. Starting from the molecular point of view up to the effects on populations, the course will explore the possible toxicological effects at different animal organization levels (cells, tissues/organs, organism, species). Lectures and practicals will focus on: Molecular targets involved in pathogenic pathways and related to molecular initiating events of toxicity; Cellular targets triggering abnormal proliferation, death, migration and differentiation; Embryonic targets related to abnormal development; Tissue/organ targets related to specific organ toxicity; Species-specific sensitivity and toxicity. Methodological approaches for hazard identification and safety assessment. The use of different models, useful for animal/human toxicity assessment, will be illustrated.