{"id":71067,"date":"2024-10-24T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?p=71067"},"modified":"2026-02-02T14:24:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T13:24:44","slug":"agrchemicals-and-declining-insect-populations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/agrchemicals-and-declining-insect-populations\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating the link between chemicals and declining insect populations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Summary <\/h3>\n

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  • Employing a library of more than 1,000 chemicals, EMBL scientists and collaborators investigated how agrochemicals affect insect populations.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • The scientists found that exposure to non-fatal amounts of 57% of the chemicals altered behaviour in fruit fly larvae, while higher levels compromised long-term survival after acute exposure.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • These observations were worsened when the ambient temperature increased by four degrees.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • An expanded investigation including mosquitoes and butterflies resulted in similar behavioural changes.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • These findings underscore that chemical use contributes to worldwide insect population decline by adversely affecting development and behaviours \u2013 findings that provide avenues to improve chemical safety assessment, environmental protection, food security, and animal and human health. <\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n

    Few people are fans of stink bugs, mosquitoes, or boll weevils, but insects play a key role in the circle of life that makes up the planet\u2019s environment. In fact, world-renowned biologist E. O. Wilson famously declared that if insects vanished, our environment would collapse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Scientists have noted that insect behaviour has been changing, and their populations are declining \u2013 on average 2-3% per year. This has prompted them to investigate the potential causes of this change, such as habitat loss due to overdevelopment, climate change, and chemical use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    EMBL researchers and collaborators recently investigated how pesticides, herbicides, and other agrochemicals affect insect populations. They systematically exposed fruit fly larvae to more than 1,000 molecules contained within EMBL\u2019s unique chemical library, which stores a variety of agrochemicals in a format readily usable for large-scale screens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These fruit fly larvae came from multiple geographic locations, and the researchers followed their developmental time, behaviour, and long-term survival for the duration of their life cycle. They found that 57% of the tested chemicals altered fruit fly larvae behaviour significantly even in amounts known not to be fatal. A higher level of chemicals compromised long-term survival of the flies after this same kind of exposure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe found that when we exposed larvae to very low doses of chemicals, the exposure caused widespread changes in physiological processes that are at the heart of how they develop and behave,\u201d said Lautaro Gandara, first author of a paper reporting these findings in the journal Science<\/em> and postdoctoral fellow in EMBL\u2019s Crocker research group. \u201cThese changes were exacerbated when we increased the temperature in the growing chambers by four degrees \u2013 a decision born from the idea that global temperatures have been on the rise and might affect how pesticides affect the larvae.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The scientists started by raising the temperature in the growing environment by two degrees (from 25\u00b0C\/77\u00b0F to 27\u00b0C\/80.6\u00b0F). When they didn’t see much difference, they increased the temperature further to 29\u00b0C\/84.2\u00b0F, which is still representative of summer temperature ranges for much of the world. At that point, they saw a pronounced impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cFurther, we mixed some of the most commonly detected airborne chemicals, at ecologically relevant doses, again exposing fruit flies from when they first hatched. We then saw a much stronger effect,\u201d said Justin Crocker, EMBL Group Leader and senior author of the recent scientific paper. \u201cWe observed a 60% drop in egg-laying rates, foreshadowing population decline but also other altered behaviours, such as more frequent hunching, a behaviour rarely seen in the untreated groups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018Hunching’ is when larvae bend or curl their bodies in an exaggerated manner. It can signal stress or discomfort, but more importantly, underlying issues such as toxicity, neurological effects, or physiological processes that have been disrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOn the surface, hunching may seem inconsequential, but even small changes in behaviour can impact fitness if they adversely affect feeding, mating, and migration, for example,\u201d Crocker added. \u201cScientists need to understand how animals interact with each other and their environment to predict the impact of changes, such as habitat destruction or climate change, on ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The scientists acknowledged they don\u2019t yet know if this hunching is connected to other changes they found, like the reduced egg-laying rate. It’s possible the two behaviours are unrelated. Despite that, it’s likely that larvae that spend a lot of time hunching instead of eating won’t thrive in a natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gandara and Crocker teamed up with several other scientists for this study. Jean-Baptiste Masson and Fran\u00e7ois Laurent from the Institut Pasteur, along with Christian Tischer\u2019s team at EMBL, provided AI-driven approaches to understand behavioural effects with high statistical resolution. Other EMBL collaborators included the Zimmermann Group, with its chemical library, the Savitski Group for proteomics expertise, and the Zimmermann-Kogadeeva group for computational biology expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Collaborators Vicky Ingham, a group leader at Heidelberg University Hospital, and Arnaud Martin, an associate professor in Biology at George Washington University, helped the EMBL researchers expand their experiment\u2019s scope to include mosquitoes and Painted Lady butterflies, respectively, where they found similar patterns and were thus able to validate the experimental approach and conclusions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cInsects \u2013 even those that can seem like pests \u2013 are critical to the planet. They pollinate the plants we eat and they\u2019re an important part of the food web,\u201d Gandara said. \u201cFor a long time, people speculated on the various reasons for insect behaviour changes, but now this research helps clarify one significant contributing factor. One of the biggest takeaways from this work is that even small amounts of certain chemicals have impacts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Animal behaviour plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance. Additionally, as insect populations decline, so too does genetic diversity, which is critical for species to adapt to environmental changes presently and in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe positive aspect to this work is that we have new knowledge about which chemicals can cause certain molecular changes and associated behavioural and developmental changes,\u201d Crocker said. \u201cBy providing data on the impact and toxicity of chemicals, these assays can translate into regulatory and industrial practices that better protect human health and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Valutare il legame tra sostanze chimiche e il declino delle popolazioni di insetti<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    Utilizzando una libreria di oltre 1.000 prodotti agrochimici, gli scienziati hanno osservato cambiamenti significativi nel comportamento e nella sopravvivenza a lungo termine di diverse popolazioni di insetti.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    \n Sintesi <\/h3>\n

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    • Utilizzando una libreria di oltre 1.000 sostanze chimiche, gli scienziati dell’EMBL e i loro collaboratori hanno studiato come i prodotti agrochimici influenzano le popolazioni di insetti.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Gli scienziati hanno scoperto che l’esposizione a quantit\u00e0 non letali del 57% delle sostanze chimiche alterava il comportamento delle larve di moscerino della frutta, mentre livelli pi\u00f9 elevati ne compromettevano la sopravvivenza a lungo termine.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Queste osservazioni peggioravano quando la temperatura ambientale veniva aumentata di quattro gradi.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Un’indagine pi\u00f9 ampia, che ha incluso zanzare e farfalle, ha prodotto cambiamenti comportamentali simili.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Questi risultati sottolineano che l’uso di sostanze chimiche contribuisce al declino delle popolazioni di insetti in tutto il mondo, influenzando negativamente lo sviluppo e il comportamento – risultati che offrono la possibilit\u00e0 di migliorare la valutazione della sicurezza chimica, la protezione dell’ambiente, la sicurezza alimentare e la salute umana e animale.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n

      Pochi amano le mosche, le zanzare o le cimici, eppure gli insetti svolgono un ruolo fondamentale nel cerchio della vita che costituisce l’ambiente del pianeta. Infatti, il biologo di fama mondiale E. O. Wilson ha dichiarato che se gli insetti scomparissero, il nostro ambiente collasserebbe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Da tempo gli scienziati hanno notato che il comportamento degli insetti sta cambiando e che le loro popolazioni stanno diminuendo, in media del 2-3% all’anno. Ci\u00f2 li ha spinti a indagare sulle potenziali cause di questo cambiamento, come la perdita di habitat dovuta all’eccessivo sviluppo umano, il cambiamento climatico e l’uso di sostanze chimiche. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I ricercatori dell’EMBL e i loro collaboratori hanno recentemente studiato il modo in cui pesticidi, erbicidi e altri prodotti agrochimici influenzano le popolazioni di insetti. Hanno esposto in maniera sistematica le larve di moscerino della frutta a pi\u00f9 di 1.000 molecole contenute nell’esclusiva libreria chimica dell’EMBL, che conserva una variet\u00e0 di prodotti agrochimici in un formato facilmente utilizzabile per gli screening su larga scala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Le larve di moscerino della frutta provenivano da diverse localit\u00e0 geografiche e i ricercatori ne hanno seguito i tempi di sviluppo, il comportamento e la sopravvivenza a lungo termine per tutta la durata del loro ciclo vitale. Hanno scoperto che il 57% delle sostanze chimiche testate alterava in modo significativo il comportamento delle larve, anche in quantit\u00e0 considerate non letali. Un livello pi\u00f9 elevato di sostanze chimiche ha compromesso la sopravvivenza a lungo termine dei moscerini dopo questo stesso tipo di esposizione. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cAbbiamo osservato che l\u2019esposizione delle larve a dosi molto basse di sostanze chimiche, causava cambiamenti diffusi nei processi fisiologici che sono alla base del loro sviluppo e del loro comportamento\u201d, ha detto Lautaro Gandara, primo autore dell\u2019articolo pubblicato dalla rivista \u2018Science\u2019 e postdoc nel gruppo di ricerca Crocker dell’EMBL. \u201cQuesti cambiamenti sono stati esacerbati quando abbiamo aumentato la temperatura nelle camere di crescita di quattro gradi – una decisione nata dall’idea che le temperature globali sono in aumento e potrebbero influenzare il modo in cui i pesticidi agiscono sulle larve\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Gli scienziati hanno inizialmente aumentato la temperatura dell’ambiente di crescita di due gradi (da 25\u00b0C\/77\u00b0F a 27\u00b0C\/80,6\u00b0F). Quando non hanno notato grandi differenze, hanno aumentato ulteriormente la temperatura fino a 29\u00b0C\/84,2\u00b0F, che \u00e8 ancora rappresentativa delle temperature estive di gran parte del mondo. A quel punto, hanno osservato un effetto pronunciato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cIn seguito, abbiamo mescolato alcune delle sostanze chimiche pi\u00f9 comunemente rilevate nell’aria, a dosi ecologicamente rilevanti, esponendo nuovamente i moscerini della frutta fin dalla loro prima schiusa. In questo caso abbiamo osservato un effetto molto pi\u00f9 forte\u201d, ha dichiarato Justin Crocker, responsabile del gruppo EMBL e coordinatore del progetto. \u201cAbbiamo infatti osservato un calo del 60% nel tasso di deposizione delle uova, che fa presagire un declino della popolazione, ma anche altri comportamenti alterati, come un pi\u00f9 frequente \u201chunching\u201d, un comportamento raramente osservato nei gruppi non trattati\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      L\u2019 \u201chunching\u201d \u00e8 la forma che assumono le larve quando piegano o arricciano il corpo in modo esagerato. Pu\u00f2 segnalare stress o disagio, ma soprattutto problemi di fondo come tossicit\u00e0, effetti neurologici o processi fisiologici alterati.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cIn apparenza l\u2019\u201dhunching\u201d pu\u00f2 sembrare irrilevante, ma anche piccoli cambiamenti nel comportamento possono avere un impatto sulla salute di una specie se ne influenzano, ad esempio, l’alimentazione, l’accoppiamento e la migrazione\u201d, ha aggiunto Crocker. \u201cGli scienziati devono capire come gli animali interagiscono tra loro e con il loro ambiente per prevedere l’impatto dei cambiamenti, come la distruzione dell’habitat o il cambiamento climatico, sugli ecosistemi\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Gli scienziati non sanno ancora se questo ripiegamento del corpo  sia collegato ad altri cambiamenti riscontrati, come la riduzione del tasso di deposizione delle uova. \u00c8 possibile che i due comportamenti non siano correlati. Tuttavia, \u00e8 probabile che le larve che passano molto tempo a ripiegarsi invece che a mangiare non prosperino in un ambiente naturale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Gandara e Crocker hanno collaborato con molti altri scienziati per questo studio. Jean-Baptiste Masson e Fran\u00e7ois Laurent dell’Istituto Pasteur, insieme al team di Christian Tischer dell’EMBL, hanno fornito approcci guidati dall’intelligenza artificiale per comprendere gli effetti comportamentali con un’elevata affidabilit\u00e0. Gli altri collaboratori dell’EMBL includono il gruppo Zimmermann, con la sua libreria di sostanze chimica, il gruppo Savitski per le competenze di proteomica e il gruppo Zimmermann-Kogadeeva per le competenze di biologia computazionale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I collaboratori Vicky Ingham, capogruppo all’ospedale universitario di Heidelberg, e Arnaud Martin, professore associato di biologia alla George Washington University, hanno aiutato i ricercatori dell’EMBL ad ampliare la portata dell’esperimento, includendo rispettivamente le zanzare e le farfalle Painted Lady. In queste specie i ricercatori hanno osservato comportamenti simili, che hanno quindi convalidato l’approccio sperimentale e le conclusioni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cGli insetti, anche quelli che possono sembrare parassiti, sono fondamentali per il pianeta. Impollinano le piante che mangiamo e sono una parte importante della rete alimentare\u201d, ha detto Gandara. Per molto tempo si \u00e8 speculato sulle varie ragioni dei cambiamenti di comportamento degli insetti, ma ora questa ricerca aiuta a chiarire un fattore significativo che vi contribuisce\u201d. Uno dei risultati pi\u00f9 importanti di questo lavoro \u00e8 che anche piccole quantit\u00e0 di certe sostanze chimiche hanno un impatto\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Il comportamento degli animali svolge un ruolo cruciale nel mantenimento dell’equilibrio dell’ecosistema. Inoltre, con la diminuzione delle popolazioni di insetti, diminuisce anche la diversit\u00e0 genetica, che \u00e8 fondamentale per le specie per adattarsi ai cambiamenti ambientali attuali e futuri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cL’aspetto positivo di questo lavoro \u00e8 che abbiamo nuove conoscenze su quali sostanze chimiche possono causare determinati cambiamenti molecolari e relativi cambiamenti comportamentali e di sviluppo\u201d, ha detto Crocker. \u201cFornendo dati sull’impatto e sulla tossicit\u00e0 delle sostanze chimiche, questi studi possono tradursi in pratiche normative e industriali che proteggono meglio la salute umana e l’ambiente\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Estudian el v\u00ednculo entre los productos qu\u00edmicos y el declive de las poblaciones de insectos<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

      Cient\u00edficos del EMBL y colaboradores utilizan una biblioteca de m\u00e1s de 1.000 agroqu\u00edmicos y observan cambios significativos en el comportamiento y la supervivencia a largo plazo de diferentes poblaciones de insectos.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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      \n Resumen <\/h3>\n

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      • Cient\u00edficos del EMBL y colaboradores han investigado c\u00f3mo los agroqu\u00edmicos afectan a las poblaciones de insectos. Lo han hecho utilizando una biblioteca de m\u00e1s de 1.000 productos qu\u00edmicos.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Los cient\u00edficos descubrieron que la exposici\u00f3n en cantidades no letales del 57% de los productos qu\u00edmicos estudiados, alteraba el comportamiento en larvas de mosca de la fruta, mientras que niveles m\u00e1s altos compromet\u00edan la supervivencia a largo plazo despu\u00e9s de una exposici\u00f3n aguda.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Estas observaciones se agravan cuando la temperatura ambiental aumenta en cuatro grados.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Una investigaci\u00f3n ampliada con diversos colaboradores, que incluy\u00f3 a mosquitos y mariposas, dio lugar a cambios similares en el comportamiento.<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Estos hallazgos subrayan que el uso de productos qu\u00edmicos contribuye al declive mundial de las poblaciones de insectos, al afectar negativamente el desarrollo y los comportamientos. Este estudio ofrece v\u00edas para mejorar la evaluaci\u00f3n de la seguridad de los productos qu\u00edmicos, la protecci\u00f3n ambiental, la seguridad alimentaria y la salud animal y humana.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n

        Poca gente es amante de las moscas, los mosquitos, o las chinches, pero los insectos tienen un rol clave en el c\u00edrculo de la vida que conforma el medio ambiente del planeta. De hecho, el famoso bi\u00f3logo E. O. Wilson declar\u00f3 que, si los insectos desaparecieran, nuestro medio ambiente colapsar\u00eda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Los cient\u00edficos han observado que el comportamiento de los insectos ha ido cambiando y que cada a\u00f1o las poblaciones disminuyen una media del 2 al 3%. Esto les ha llevado a investigar las posibles causas de este cambio, como la p\u00e9rdida de h\u00e1bitats debido al desarrollo excesivo, el cambio clim\u00e1tico y el uso de productos qu\u00edmicos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Investigadores del EMBL y colaboradores han estudiado c\u00f3mo afectan los pesticidas, herbicidas y otros productos agroqu\u00edmicos a las poblaciones de insectos. En su estudio, expusieron sistem\u00e1ticamente larvas de mosca de la fruta a m\u00e1s de 1.000 mol\u00e9culas contenidas en la biblioteca qu\u00edmica del EMBL, que almacena una variedad de agroqu\u00edmicos en un formato f\u00e1cilmente utilizable para cribas a gran escala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Las larvas de mosca de la fruta del estudio proceden de m\u00faltiples ubicaciones geogr\u00e1ficas, y los investigadores siguieron su tiempo de desarrollo, comportamiento y supervivencia durante todo su ciclo vital. Descubrieron que el 57% de las sustancias qu\u00edmicas analizadas alteraban significativamente el comportamiento de las larvas de mosca de la fruta, incluso en cantidades que se sab\u00eda que no eran mortales. Un nivel m\u00e1s alto de sustancias qu\u00edmicas compromet\u00eda la supervivencia a largo plazo de las moscas tras el mismo tipo de exposici\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00abDescubrimos que cuando expon\u00edamos a las larvas a dosis muy bajas de sustancias qu\u00edmicas, la exposici\u00f3n provocaba cambios generalizados en los procesos fisiol\u00f3gicos que son cruciales para su desarrollo y comportamiento\u00bb, afirma Lautaro Gandara, primer autor de un art\u00edculo que recoge estos resultados en la revista Science <\/em>y postdoc en el grupo de investigaci\u00f3n Crocker del EMBL. \u00abEstos cambios se exacerbaron cuando aumentamos cuatro grados la temperatura en las c\u00e1maras de cultivo, una decisi\u00f3n nacida de la idea de que las temperaturas globales han ido en aumento y podr\u00edan afectar a la forma en que los pesticidas afectan a las larvas\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Los cient\u00edficos empezaron aumentando dos grados la temperatura del entorno de cultivo (de 25 \u00b0C a 27 \u00b0C). Como no observaron grandes diferencias, aumentaron a\u00fan m\u00e1s la temperatura hasta 29 \u00b0C, que sigue siendo representativa de las temperaturas estivales de gran parte del mundo. En ese punto, observaron un mayor impacto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00abAdem\u00e1s, mezclamos algunas de las sustancias qu\u00edmicas m\u00e1s com\u00fanmente detectadas en el aire, en dosis ecol\u00f3gicamente relevantes, exponiendo de nuevo a las moscas de la fruta desde el momento de su eclosi\u00f3n. Entonces observamos un efecto mucho mayor\u00bb, explica Justin Crocker, jefe de grupo del EMBL y autor s\u00e9nior del reciente art\u00edculo cient\u00edfico. \u00abObservamos un descenso del 60% en las tasas de puesta de huevos, presagiando el declive de la poblaci\u00f3n, pero tambi\u00e9n otros comportamientos alterados, como un encorvamiento m\u00e1s frecuente, un comportamiento raramente observado en los grupos no tratados\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Las larvas expuestas a las sustancias qu\u00edmicas del estudio se encorvaban o doblaban el cuerpo de forma exagerada. Esto puede ser se\u00f1al de estr\u00e9s o incomodidad, pero sobre todo de problemas subyacentes como toxicidad, efectos neurol\u00f3gicos o procesos fisiol\u00f3gicos alterados.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00abA primera vista, el encorvamiento puede parecer intrascendente, pero incluso peque\u00f1os cambios de comportamiento pueden repercutir en la forma f\u00edsica si afectan negativamente a la alimentaci\u00f3n, el apareamiento y la migraci\u00f3n, por ejemplo\u00bb, a\u00f1ade Crocker. \u00abLos cient\u00edficos necesitan comprender c\u00f3mo interact\u00faan los animales entre s\u00ed y con su entorno para predecir el impacto que cambios como la destrucci\u00f3n del h\u00e1bitat o el cambio clim\u00e1tico pueden tener en los ecosistemas\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Los cient\u00edficos reconocen que a\u00fan no saben si este encorvamiento exagerado est\u00e1 relacionado con otros cambios detectados, como la reducci\u00f3n de la tasa de puesta de huevos. Es posible que ambos comportamientos no est\u00e9n relacionados. A pesar de ello, es probable que las larvas que pasan mucho tiempo encorvadas en lugar de comiendo no prosperen en un entorno natural. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        G\u00e1ndara y Crocker colaboraron con otros cient\u00edficos en este estudio. Jean-Baptiste Masson y Fran\u00e7ois Laurent, del Institut Pasteur, junto con el equipo de Christian Tischer, del EMBL, aportaron enfoques basados en IA para comprender los efectos del comportamiento con una alta resoluci\u00f3n estad\u00edstica. Otros colaboradores del EMBL fueron el Grupo Zimmermann, con su biblioteca qu\u00edmica, el Grupo Savitski, por su experiencia en prote\u00f3mica, y el grupo Zimmermann-Kogadeeva, por su experiencia en biolog\u00eda computacional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Vicky Ingham, jefa de grupo en el Hospital Universitario de Heidelberg, y Arnaud Martin, profesor asociado de Biolog\u00eda en la Universidad George Washington, ayudaron a los investigadores del EMBL a ampliar el alcance de su experimento para incluir mosquitos y mariposas de la especie Vanesa de los cardos, respectivamente, donde encontraron patrones similares y pudieron as\u00ed validar el enfoque experimental y las conclusiones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00abLos insectos -incluso los que pueden parecer plagas- son fundamentales para el planeta. Polinizan las plantas que comemos y son una parte importante de la cadena alimentaria\u00bb, afirma Gandara. \u00abDurante mucho tiempo se especul\u00f3 sobre las razones de los cambios de comportamiento de los insectos, pero ahora esta investigaci\u00f3n ayuda a aclarar un factor importante. Una de las mayores conclusiones de este trabajo es que incluso peque\u00f1as cantidades de ciertas sustancias qu\u00edmicas tienen efectos.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        El comportamiento animal desempe\u00f1a un papel crucial en el mantenimiento del equilibrio de los ecosistemas. Adem\u00e1s, a medida que disminuyen las poblaciones de insectos, tambi\u00e9n lo hace la diversidad gen\u00e9tica, que es fundamental para que las especies se adapten a los cambios ambientales actuales y futuros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u00abEl aspecto positivo de este trabajo es que disponemos de nuevos conocimientos sobre qu\u00e9 sustancias qu\u00edmicas pueden provocar determinados cambios moleculares y cambios de comportamiento y desarrollo asociados\u00bb, afirma Crocker. \u00abAl aportar datos sobre el impacto y la toxicidad de las sustancias qu\u00edmicas, estos ensayos pueden traducirse en pr\u00e1cticas normativas e industriales que protejan mejor la salud humana y el medio ambiente\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        \u00c9valuer le lien entre les produits chimiques et le d\u00e9clin des populations d’insectes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

        En utilisant une biblioth\u00e8que de plus de 1000 produits agrochimiques, les scientifiques ont constat\u00e9 des changements significatifs dans le comportement et la survie \u00e0 long terme de diff\u00e9rentes populations d’insectes.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \n
        \n

        \n R\u00e9sum\u00e9 <\/h3>\n

          \r\n \t
        • En utilisant une biblioth\u00e8que de plus de 1000 produits chimiques, les scientifiques de l’EMBL et leurs collaborateurs (l\u2019Institut Pasteur, l\u2019H\u00f4pital universitaire de Heidelberg, et l\u2019Universit\u00e9 George Washington) ont \u00e9tudi\u00e9 comment les produits agrochimiques affectent les populations d’insectes.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Ils ont constat\u00e9 que l’exposition \u00e0 des quantit\u00e9s non l\u00e9tales de 57 % des produits chimiques modifiait le comportement des larves de drosophiles, tandis que des niveaux plus \u00e9lev\u00e9s compromettaient leur capacit\u00e9 de survie \u00e0 long terme apr\u00e8s une exposition aigu\u00eb.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Ces observations ont empir\u00e9es lorsque la temp\u00e9rature ambiante avait \u00e9t\u00e9 augment\u00e9e de quatre degr\u00e9s.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Une \u00e9tude \u00e9largie \u00e0 des esp\u00e8ces de moustiques et de papillons a donn\u00e9 lieu \u00e0 des changements de comportement similaires.<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Ces r\u00e9sultats soulignent que l’utilisation de produits chimiques contribue au d\u00e9clin des populations d’insectes dans le monde en affectant n\u00e9gativement leurs d\u00e9veloppement et comportements; ils offrent des pistes pour am\u00e9liorer l’\u00e9valuation de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 des produits chimiques, la protection de l’environnement, la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 alimentaire et la sant\u00e9 animale et humaine.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n

          Peu de gens aiment les pucerons, les moustiques ou les charan\u00e7ons, mais les insectes jouent un r\u00f4le essentiel dans le cercle de vie, qui constitue l’environnement de la plan\u00e8te. De fait, le biologiste de renomm\u00e9e mondiale E. O. Wilson a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 que si les insectes disparaissaient, notre environnement s’effondrerait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Les scientifiques ont constat\u00e9 un changement dans le comportement des insectes et que leurs populations diminuaient en moyenne de 2 \u00e0 3 % par an. Cette constatation les a incit\u00e9s \u00e0 \u00e9tudier les causes potentielles de ce changement, telles que la perte d’habitat due au surd\u00e9veloppement, au changement climatique et \u00e0 l’utilisation de produits chimiques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Les chercheurs de l’EMBL et leurs collaborateurs ont r\u00e9cemment \u00e9tudi\u00e9 la mani\u00e8re dont les pesticides, les herbicides et d’autres produits agrochimiques affectent les populations d’insectes. Ils ont syst\u00e9matiquement expos\u00e9 des larves de drosophiles (ou \u201cmouches des fruits\u201d) \u00e0 plus de 1000 mol\u00e9cules contenues dans la chimioth\u00e8que unique de l’EMBL, qui stocke une vari\u00e9t\u00e9 de produits agrochimiques dans un format facilement utilisable pour des criblages \u00e0 grande \u00e9chelle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Ces larves de drosophiles provenaient de diff\u00e9rents lieux g\u00e9ographiques et les chercheurs ont suivi leur d\u00e9veloppement, leur comportement et leur capacit\u00e9 de survie \u00e0 long terme pendant toute la dur\u00e9e de leur cycle de vie. Ils ont constat\u00e9 que 57 % des produits chimiques test\u00e9s modifiaient consid\u00e9rablement le comportement des larves de drosophiles, m\u00eame en quantit\u00e9s consid\u00e9r\u00e9s comme non l\u00e9tales. Un niveau plus \u00e9lev\u00e9 de produits chimiques compromettait la survie \u00e0 long terme des mouches apr\u00e8s ce m\u00eame type d’exposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \u00ab Nous avons d\u00e9couvert que l’exposition des larves \u00e0 de tr\u00e8s faibles doses de produits chimiques provoquait des changements g\u00e9n\u00e9ralis\u00e9s dans les processus physiologiques qui sont au c\u0153ur de leur d\u00e9veloppement et de leur comportement \u00bb, explique Lautaro Gandara, premier auteur d’un article publi\u00e9 dans la revue Science<\/em> et postdoctorant au sein du groupe de recherche de Justin Crocker \u00e0 l’EMBL. \u00ab Ces changements ont \u00e9t\u00e9 exacerb\u00e9s lorsque nous avons augment\u00e9 la temp\u00e9rature des chambres de croissance de quatre degr\u00e9s ; une d\u00e9cision n\u00e9e de l’id\u00e9e que les temp\u00e9ratures mondiales ont augment\u00e9es et qu’elles pourraient avoir un impact sur la fa\u00e7on dont les pesticides affectent les larves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Les scientifiques ont commenc\u00e9 par augmenter la temp\u00e9rature de l’environnement de culture de deux degr\u00e9s (de 25\u00b0C \u00e0 27\u00b0C). Comme ils ne voyaient pas de grande diff\u00e9rence, ils ont augment\u00e9 la temp\u00e9rature jusqu’\u00e0 29\u00b0C, ce qui est encore repr\u00e9sentatif des plages de temp\u00e9ratures estivales dans la plupart des r\u00e9gions du monde. C’est \u00e0 ce moment-l\u00e0 qu’ils ont constat\u00e9 un impact notable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \u00ab Nous avons ensuite m\u00e9lang\u00e9 certains des produits chimiques les plus couramment d\u00e9tect\u00e9s dans l’air, \u00e0 des doses \u00e9cologiquement pertinentes, en exposant \u00e0 nouveau les drosophiles d\u00e8s leur \u00e9closion. Nous avons alors constat\u00e9 un effet beaucoup plus important \u00bb, explique Justin Crocker, directeur de recherche \u00e0 l’EMBL et investigateur principal du r\u00e9cent article scientifique. \u00ab Nous avons observ\u00e9 une chute de 60 % des taux de ponte, ce qui laisse pr\u00e9sager un d\u00e9clin de la population, mais aussi d’autres comportements alt\u00e9r\u00e9s, tels qu’un recroquevillement plus fr\u00e9quent, un comportement rarement observ\u00e9 dans les groupes non trait\u00e9s. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Le \u201crecroquevillement\u201d des larves se manifeste lorsque leur corps se plie ou s\u2019enroule de mani\u00e8re exag\u00e9r\u00e9e. Ce comportement peut \u00eatre un signe de stress ou d’inconfort, mais surtout de probl\u00e8mes sous-jacents tels que la toxicit\u00e9, des effets neurologiques ou des processus physiologiques qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 perturb\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \u00ab \u00c0 premi\u00e8re vue, ce recroquevillement peut sembler sans cons\u00e9quence, mais m\u00eame de petits changements de comportement peuvent avoir un impact sur la condition physique s’ils nuisent \u00e0 l’alimentation, \u00e0 l’accouplement et \u00e0 la migration, par exemple \u00bb, ajoute Justin Crocker. \u00ab Les scientifiques doivent comprendre comment les animaux interagissent entre eux et avec leur environnement pour pr\u00e9dire l’impact de changements tels que la destruction des habitats ou le changement climatique, sur les \u00e9cosyst\u00e8mes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Les scientifiques reconnaissent qu’ils ne savent pas encore si cette attitude de recroquevillement est li\u00e9e \u00e0 d’autres changements qu’ils ont constat\u00e9s, comme la r\u00e9duction du taux de ponte. Il est possible que les deux comportements ne soient pas li\u00e9s. Malgr\u00e9 cela, il est probable que les larves qui passent beaucoup de temps \u00e0 se recroqueviller au lieu de manger ne prosp\u00e9reront pas dans un environnement naturel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Lautaro Gandara et Justin Crocker ont fait \u00e9quipe avec plusieurs autres scientifiques pour cette \u00e9tude. Jean-Baptiste Masson et Fran\u00e7ois Laurent de l’Institut Pasteur, ainsi que l’\u00e9quipe de Christian Tischer \u00e0 l’EMBL, ont fourni des approches bas\u00e9es sur l’IA pour comprendre les effets comportementaux avec une haute r\u00e9solution statistique. Parmi les autres collaborateurs de l’EMBL figurent le groupe Zimmermann, avec sa chimioth\u00e8que, le groupe Savitski pour son expertise en prot\u00e9omique et le groupe Zimmermann-Kogadeeva pour son expertise en biologie computationnelle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Les collaborateurs Vicky Ingham, chef de groupe \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital universitaire de Heidelberg, et Arnaud Martin, professeur associ\u00e9 de biologie \u00e0 l’universit\u00e9 George Washington, ont aid\u00e9 les chercheurs de l’EMBL \u00e0 \u00e9tendre la port\u00e9e de leur exp\u00e9rience aux moustiques et aux papillons \u00ab Painted Lady \u00bb, respectivement, o\u00f9 ils ont trouv\u00e9 des mod\u00e8les similaires et ont ainsi pu valider l’approche exp\u00e9rimentale et les conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \u00ab Les insectes – m\u00eame ceux qui peuvent sembler nuisibles – sont essentiels pour la plan\u00e8te. Ils pollinisent les plantes que nous mangeons et constituent un \u00e9l\u00e9ment important du r\u00e9seau alimentaire \u00bb, d\u00e9clare Lautaro Gandara. \u00ab Pendant longtemps, les gens ont sp\u00e9cul\u00e9 sur les diff\u00e9rentes raisons des changements de comportement des insectes, mais cette recherche permet maintenant de clarifier un facteur contributif important. L’un des principaux enseignements de ces travaux est que m\u00eame de petites quantit\u00e9s de certains produits chimiques ont un impact. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Le comportement des animaux joue un r\u00f4le crucial dans le maintien de l’\u00e9quilibre des \u00e9cosyst\u00e8mes. En outre, le d\u00e9clin des populations d’insectes entra\u00eene celui de la diversit\u00e9 g\u00e9n\u00e9tique, qui est essentielle pour permettre aux esp\u00e8ces de s’adapter aux changements environnementaux actuels et futurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \u00ab L’aspect positif de ce travail est que nous disposons de nouvelles connaissances sur les produits chimiques qui peuvent provoquer certains changements mol\u00e9culaires et les changements de comportement et de d\u00e9veloppement qui y sont associ\u00e9s \u00bb, d\u00e9clare Justin Crocker. \u00ab En fournissant des donn\u00e9es sur l’impact et la toxicit\u00e9 des produits chimiques, ces analyses peuvent se traduire par des pratiques r\u00e9glementaires et industrielles qui prot\u00e8gent mieux la sant\u00e9 humaine et l’environnement. \u00bb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Employing a library of more than 1,000 chemicals, EMBL researchers and collaborators investigated how agrochemicals affect insect populations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":71191,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17591],"tags":[340,87,54,528,565,684,833,45],"embl_taxonomy":[19191,9796],"class_list":["post-71067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-behaviour","tag-biodiversity","tag-chemical-biology","tag-crocker","tag-developmental-biology","tag-environment","tag-fruit-fly","tag-proteomics","embl_taxonomy-crocker-group","embl_taxonomy-embl-heidelberg"],"acf":{"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"

          Using a library of 1,000+ agrochemicals, scientists saw significant changes in behaviour and long-term survival of different insect populations<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"The power of a pesticide library","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-99\/the-power-of-a-pesticide-library\/"},{"link_description":"Pervasive sublethal effects of agrochemicals as contributing factors to insect decline, bioRxiv","link_url":"https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2024.01.12.575373v1"},{"link_description":"PDF version","link_url":"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/15TqZDPD_SKGLwEMsyAK8oOJDgAscJifS\/view"},{"link_description":"","link_url":""}],"source_article":[{"publication_title":"Pervasive sublethal effects of agrochemicals as contributing factors to insect decline","publication_link":{"title":"","url":"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.ado0251?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D43054923500555183784433604705816309749%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1729781522","target":""},"publication_authors":"Gandara, et al.","publication_source":"Science","publication_date":"24 October 2024","publication_doi":"10.1126\/science.ado0251"}],"in_this_article":false,"press_contact":"None","article_translations":[{"translation_language":"Italiano","translation_anchor":"#a1"},{"translation_language":"Espa\u00f1ol","translation_anchor":"#a2"},{"translation_language":"Fran\u00e7ais","translation_anchor":"#a3"}],"languages":"","vfwp-news_embl_taxonomy":[9796,19191]},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"6a2f2be6-8bb7-4425-b318-5ed992f715cc\";i:2;s:36:\"e967131b-3dc5-4454-95b5-e11de9aa037b\";}","parents":[],"name":["Crocker Group"],"slug":"crocker-group","description":"What > 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