Mónica João de Barros Amorim

Mónica Amorim has a PhD in biology from Universidade de Aveiro (2004). She is the president of SETAC Europe (2014-2015), been chair of the Global Soil Advisory Group under SETAC and part of the council, (e.g. chair of the Education and Publications committee). She has authored many talks and posters, been invited session chair several times, and organised special sessions at various international meetings. She has devoted several years to the development of an active research programme in ecotoxicology, mostly terrestrial, field and laboratory, addressing a series of both fundamental and pre-normative research questions. In the area of soil ecotoxicology research activities include the development of genomic tools and use of multi-species tests; refinement of existing protocols and development of new bioassays to assess terrestrial contamination; ecophysiological modeling of soil organisms by analyzing life cycle traits from data collected on laboratory tests and on population parameters obtained on mesocosm tests. Additionally, has developed and implemented a new type of test - avoidance test having shown its high ecological relevance and the lack of prediction to higher tier tests. Her present research interests and domain of specialisation includes Ecotoxicogenomics - Extensive progresses have taken place since 2006, such as the development and the enrichment of a new microarray, developed for the first time for an Enchytraeid (Enchytraeus albidus), and is now an Agilent custom platform. At present Enchytraeus crypticus was subject of a massive parallel sequencing (454-pyrosequencing) and a high gradient Agilent microarray was validated, with several publications on its usage. The other domain of specialization includes nanotoxicology: Involved in nanotoxicology projects, collaborating with both national and international experts in the area. Developments in soil nanotoxicology, which are far less studied than in water media, present particular challenges. Investigation is progressing (4 publications 2012) and rapidly moving. She is responsible for three projects in this area, one being an EU-FP7 large scale collaborative project.Other skills/activities: The researcher is also involved in the standardisation of new guidelines, and joining ring tests that precede it, such as the Bioacumulation in Oligochaetes, Collembolan Reproduction test (addition of a new test species) or the Evaluation of a biotest battery for the ecotoxicological characterisation of waste and waste eluates. She has also promoted and optimized the development of novel avoidance tests for Enchytraeids, having initially produced 3 papers that kicked research in this topic also with other species.Ecossystems services: research has been devoted to the study of the binomial soil biodiversity-function, and is the responsible Investigator of FCT project aproved in this area.