EcoHealth Research Group

Introduction
The EcoHealth Research Group aims to advance knowledge in the field of ‘environmental toxicology and reproductive biology’ by investigating the One Health implications of chronic low-dose mycotoxin exposure on reproductive function and microbiome–resistome dynamics.
It pursues innovative studies on resistome dynamics, microbiome interactions, and wildlife bioindicators. The group uses an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to understand how environmental contaminants affect biodiversity and food systems.

Abstract
This project investigates the One Health implications of chronic, low-dose mycotoxin (MT) exposure on reproductive function and microbiome–resistome dynamics in both wild deer and humans. Using metagenomic sequencing and toxicological quantification, we will characterize how MT burden disrupts microbial community structure and promotes the selection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Cervid pathological conditions, including Pedunculitis Chronica Deformans (PCD), will serve as wildlife bioindicators of environmental endocrine disruptors, while alterations in the endometrial microbiome will provide mechanistic insights into human reproductive disorders, including IVF outcomes and endometrial disease. This study provides cross-species molecular evidence linking environmental toxicants to the propagation of antimicrobial resistance and reproductive dysfunction.

Impact Statements
1. This project will enable us to make important generalizations across species regarding the link between toxin-induced microbial dysbiosis, resistome shifts, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread.

2. By addressing the fundamental theoretical concepts of reproductive toxicology and metagenomics, we will advance our understanding of the environmental origins of AMR selection, and we will significantly improve our ability to develop evidence-based mitigation strategies for wildlife and livestock systems.

Leader