Transgenerational effects of low dose radiation and in combination with secondary stressors

Living organisms can be exposed to ionizing radiation from various radionuclides occurring in the environment naturally and from nuclear accidents, nuclear waste and other anthropogenic activity. There are major gaps in knowledge on multigenerational and transgenerational effects of low dose ionizing radiation in the environment as well as the combined effects of ionizing radiation and other environmental factors (chemical, physical, biological). Therefore, the Centre of Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), the Centre of Excellence has been established at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in collaboration with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA/DSA) and the institutions NMI, NIPH and NIVA and funded by the Norwegian Research Council (2013-2023, project 223268/F50). The goal of CERAD and its advisory board of outstanding international researchers is to generate new scientific data on the harmful effects of radiation. This study will investigate effects / toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of ionizing radiation exposure in zebrafish during sensitive life stages (gametogenesis and embryogenesis) alone or in combination with other environmental factors. Particular focus will be placed on linking reproduction, immune responses and cancer with the genome and epigenome in four generations of fish. The NMBU VetBio group members, who possess competence in working with zebrafish (completed FELASA) will expose zebrafish to gamma radiation emitted by a Co-60 radiation source (FIGARO). The effects of radiation alone and combined with other environmental stressors (such as e.g. UV radiation, bacterial pathogen, Uranium and plastics) will be studied over four consecutive generations of fish. Results from the experiment will be of national and international significance and will provide more knowledge about how radiation alone or in combination with other stressors affects the health of animals and humans. This will improve the ability for assessing the radiological impact and managing the risk associated with radioactivity in the environment. It will be used 700 zebra fish in the experiments. The experiment is classified as severe. There will be used as few animals as possible in the in the radiation exposure and in the bacterial pathogen challenge experiments.