Disease-Relevant Molecular Effects of Climate-Related Chemical Exposures

Our research group at Linköping University investigates chemical–protein interactions and molecular mechanisms of toxicity using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and complementary biochemical approaches.

We propose a disease-centred mechanistic research contribution to investigate whether climate-related changes in chemical exposure can perturb molecular functions involved in the exacerbation of existing pathologies.

Proposed scientific contributions and outputs:

• Disease-specific molecular vulnerability: Integrate existing disease-mechanism knowledge with consortium disease models to identify molecular functions potentially susceptible to additional chemical perturbation.

• Mechanistic interpretation of climate-modified exposures: Experimentally investigate whether selected chemicals or mixtures identified through exposome studies perturb these disease-relevant functions, generating molecular evidence linking exposure changes to biological effects.

• Functional validation of disease-relevant effects: Test whether selected chemical-induced molecular perturbations produce measurable deterioration in disease-relevant biological functions, distinguishing molecular interactions from functionally consequential effects.

• Mechanistically informed risk prediction: Contribute experimentally supported exposure–mechanism relationships to consortium modelling efforts and evaluate whether they improve predictions of adverse biological responses.

Expected added value to the consortium: Mechanistic evidence connecting climate-related changes in chemical exposure with disease-specific biological vulnerability, supporting the interpretation of exposome–health relationships and the evaluation of emerging health risks.

We are seeking a coordinator developing a consortium for HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-ENVHLTH-02. We offer a focused scientific partnership in mechanistic toxicoproteomics, complementing expertise in climate-related exposure assessment, human exposomics, epidemiology, disease biology and modelling.