Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Evaluating formulation and storage of Arthrobacter aurescens strain TC1 as a bioremediation tool for terbuthylazine contaminated soils: Efficacy on abatement of aquatic ecotoxicity.

The Science of the total environment·2019

Same author

Comparative analysis of transcriptomic responses to sub-lethal levels of six environmentally relevant pesticides in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ecotoxicology (London, England)·2018

Same author

Methodology for the Assessment of the Ecotoxicological Potential of Construction Materials.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2017

Same author

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae response to stress caused by the herbicidal active substance alachlor requires the iron regulon transcription factor Aft1p.

Environmental microbiology·2016

Same author

Evaluation of Arthrobacter aurescens Strain TC1 as Bioaugmentation Bacterium in Soils Contaminated with the Herbicidal Substance Terbuthylazine.

PloS one·2015

Same author

Suitability of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based assay to assess the toxicity of pyrimethanil sprayed soils via surface runoff: comparison with standard aquatic and soil toxicity assays.

The Science of the total environment·2014

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Ecotoxicological Method with Marine Bacteria Vibrio anguillarum to Evaluate the Acute Toxicity of Environmental Contaminants

Ecotoxicological Method with Marine Bacteria Vibrio anguillarum to Evaluate the Acute Toxicity of Environmental Contaminants

Published on: May 26, 2017

Microbial bioassays in environmental toxicity testing.

Cristina A Viegas¹

¹iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.

Advances in Applied Microbiology

|June 18, 2021

Summary

Microbial bioassays offer a fast, cost-effective, and ethical alternative to traditional animal testing for environmental toxicity screening. These methods assess the impact of chemicals and contaminants on ecosystems, aiding in risk assessment and regulation.

Keywords:

Ecotoxicity Environmental samples Genotoxicity Microbial assays Multi-species bioassays Non-animal bioassays Single-species bioassays Xenobiotics Yeast-based assays

More Related Videos

A Small-Scale Setup for Algal Toxicity Testing of Nanomaterials and Other Difficult Substances

A Small-Scale Setup for Algal Toxicity Testing of Nanomaterials and Other Difficult Substances

Published on: October 10, 2020

Cytotoxicity Assays with Zebrafish Cell Lines

Cytotoxicity Assays with Zebrafish Cell Lines

Published on: January 6, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Ecotoxicological Method with Marine Bacteria Vibrio anguillarum to Evaluate the Acute Toxicity of Environmental Contaminants

Ecotoxicological Method with Marine Bacteria Vibrio anguillarum to Evaluate the Acute Toxicity of Environmental Contaminants

Published on: May 26, 2017

A Small-Scale Setup for Algal Toxicity Testing of Nanomaterials and Other Difficult Substances

A Small-Scale Setup for Algal Toxicity Testing of Nanomaterials and Other Difficult Substances

Published on: October 10, 2020

Cytotoxicity Assays with Zebrafish Cell Lines

Cytotoxicity Assays with Zebrafish Cell Lines

Published on: January 6, 2023

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Toxicology
Microbiology

Background:

Chemical spills and misuse cause environmental contamination, raising concerns about toxicological effects on ecosystems.
Regulators require thorough screening of numerous chemicals, wastewaters, and environmental samples for potential harm.
Developing validated ecotoxicity bioassays using microorganisms is crucial for assessing environmental risks.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current state of microbial bioassays for ecotoxicity testing.
To highlight microbial bioassays as non-animal alternatives to traditional testing.
To showcase recent examples and diverse toxicity endpoints of microbial bioassays.

Main Methods:

Overview of microbial toxicity bioassays using various microorganisms (bacteria, microalgae, yeast, fungi, protozoa).
Examination of traditional and innovative microbial bioassays, including transcriptional profiling and biosensors.
Analysis of toxicity endpoints relevant to environmental organisms.

Main Results:

Microbial bioassays are simple, fast, and cost-effective compared to animal-based tests.
Established microalga- and bacterial-based assays are regulatory-accepted and commercially available.
Emerging methods like microbial transcriptional profiling and gene expression bioassays offer advanced insights.

Conclusions:

Microbial bioassays are valuable tools for preliminary and complementary ecotoxicity assessment.
These assays provide meaningful data for environmental organisms and support regulatory decision-making.
The development of microbial bioassays advances non-animal testing strategies in toxicology.