Metabolomic approach for the analysis of micro-algae : direct analysis versus passive sampling

By 2014, the new targeted LC-MS/MS reference method for the detection of lipophilic toxins will replace the mouse bioassay (MBA). This bioassay, which has the advantage of being a rapid and global toxicity test, can not be used for toxin identification purposes. Furthermore, it has appeared that, in some cases, the mouse bioassay could reveal uncharacterized toxicities that could not be elucidated by targeted mass spectrometry methods. Therefore, moving from the global toxicity assessment test to a targeted technique leads to a lack of information on emerging toxins. Objectives: - Beside targeted methods, develop metabolomic approaches to screen for known and unknown emerging toxins - Develop passive sampling devices suitable for toxins of varying polarities, as a tool complementary to traditional monitoring - Compare metabolomic profiles of passively sampled algal constituents to those of algae themselves (footprint versus fingerprint)