New project in the field of Artificial Intelligence, funded by APV

ENDOS started new project, funded by Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in the field of |Artificial Intelligence, project number 142-451-2695/2021-01. Duration of the project 2021-2024.

New project-PROMIS-DETOX

Members of ENDOS laboratory coordinate and participate in a new PROMIS project, titled “Common phthalate DEHP and women's reproductive health risk assessment: mechanistic and chronic low-dose exposure studies”. Acronym DETOX, Funded by Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, shortly DEHP, is the most commonly used phthalate in plastic products, and it is used to make plastics more flexible. Plastic is all around us, and DEHP is use in many types of products, including cosmetics, building materials, automotive parts, household accessories, PVC floor coverings, medical tubing, blood bags, clothes, beach equipment, baby toys etc. DEHP is a very powerful endocrine disruptor, which alters hormonal balance in our body. Project is aimed to fill the gap in knowledge about the mechanism of DEHP toxicity and to identify the potential link between exposure to DEHP and the reduction of reproductive potential among women of reproductive age. Project will be implemented in cooperation between the two institutions: Faculty of Sciences and Faculty of Medicine from University of Novi Sad. More about the project

New project – Erasmus Plus KA2

Members of ENDOS laboratory coordinate and participate in a new Erasmus Plus, KA2 project, titled "Curricula Development in the Fields of Reproductive Biology/Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Regenerative Medicine in Serbia". Project is aimed in educating professionals to work in areas of Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and regenerative medicine (REM). In Serbia, there are no study programmes related to these areas, except the MSc in Reproductive Biology at the University of Novi Sad (UNS). The cooperation framework between the Serbian universities: UNS-Faculty of Sciences and Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade (UB)-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and University of Kragujevac (UNIKG) Medical Faculty will be established in order to upgrade the existing study programme at UNS and to create two new study programmes: MSc in Regenerative Medicine at UNIKG and Specialisation in Animal Reproductive Biotechnology at UB. We aim to translate good practice of higher education institutions (HEIs) from the EU countries in the fields of human and animal assisted reproduction and REM to Serbian HEIs. Project official website

About us

LABORATORY FOR ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS AND SIGNALING

The Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors and Signaling (ENDOS) is located at the Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad. Its research focus is mechanism of action of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors (ED), which are routinely found in our environment and which are known to interfere with hormone homeostasis. The emphasis is on detecting affected cellular signaling pathways, but also on detecting affected cellular events, gene expression and epigenetics.

The laboratory is equipped for molecular biology research, fluorimetric and spectrophotometric assays, histology, contains up-to date cell culture room, small zebrafish facility and rat facility

Main research areas include:

Impact of ED on reproduction. Impact on reproduction is being assessed by investigating mechanism of ED action in human and rat ovarian steroidogenic granulosa cells and in human spermatozoa. Both signaling and different reproductive parameters are evaluated.

Impact of ED on development. Impact on development is studied by exposing zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) to ED and evaluating effects both while in embryonic stage and in adulthood, with the emphasis on gene expression, epigenetics and histology.

Impact of ED on other biological systems. Impact on different other biological systems is being assessed by using various cell lines, both in chronic and acute experimental set ups. Signaling and different cellular events are evaluated.