The Spanish National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA) is one of the autonomous research organizations of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) in Spain. The INIA staff comprises around 900 people with approximately 180 scientists. One important part of the work carried out at the INIA consists in the scientific support to the activities of different ministries (Environment, Health, Agriculture). The INIA is involved in 23 EU projects, 125 national projects financed by ministries and 40 more projects financed by a variety of organizations. The budget obtained yearly exclusively for research purposes exceeds the 10 M€. The INIA headquarters provide almost any technical facility required for biological research with the advantage of a rapid communication with all the Research Institutes located at the Spanish capital. The INIA manages certain research programs from different Ministries.
Dr. José M. Navas is Director of the Department of Environment at the INIA. Dr. Navas has a wide expertise in fish physiology research and in the use of fish cells and fish cell lines as a tool to study mechanisms of specific toxicity of chemicals, in particular those underlying the processes of endocrine disruption. Dr. Navas has participated in several EU projects (e.g., ERAPHARM). Now he participates in two multidisciplinary projects (approximately 1M€ each one, including one with 75 participants) at the national level, and coordinates another one. Dr. Navas participates in several OECD Working Groups devoted to the development of test guidelines for the detection and assessment of endocrine disrupters, being also member of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials. The work will be coordinated with Dr. B. Herradón, who is the associated partner of this network. The foreseen extent of involvement in percent of the full time employment is 15%.
Dr. Bernardo Herradón is Researcher and Director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry (CSIC). His interests include the broad area of chemistry and related fields, ranging from organic synthesis to computational toxicology. His work in this area deals with research on activators of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor, and P450 1A cytochromes. Methods of molecular mechanics, quantum chemistry and QSAR approaches based on geometric, electronic and electrostatic properties of molecules are used to predict environmental pollutants properties. He also actively participates in physical organic chemistry where he applies various computational methods (including method of computer chemistry, neural networks, QSRR) to analyse chemical reactivity and crystallization properties of molecules. Dr. Herradón has been PI of numerous grants from national and private foundations. He will co-supervise INIA ESR together with Dr. Navas. The foreseen extent of involvement in percent of the full time employment is 15%.
1.Alonso, M., ... Navas, J.M., Herradón, B. (2008). Decabromobiphenyl (PBB-209) activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor while decachlorobiphenyl (PCB-209) is inactive: experimental evidence and computational rationalization of the different behavior of some halogenated biphenyls. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 21(3), 643-58.
2.Babín, M., Casado, S., Chana, A., Herradón, B., Segner, H., Tarazona, J.V., Navas, J.M. (2005). Cytochrome P4501A induction caused by the imidazole derivative Prochloraz in a rainbow trout cell line. Toxicology in Vitro, 19(7), 899-902.
3.Jos, A., Segner, H., Herradón, B., Repetto, G., Navas, J.M. (2007). Induction of EROD activity by 1-phenylimidazole and beta-naphthoflavone in rainbow trout cultured hepatocytes: a comparative study. Toxicology in Vitro, 21(7), 1307-10.