Multi-omics analysis of pollution-induced physiological stress in freshwater mussels

Pollution is one major driver of declines of freshwater mussels. In the River Cam (UK), mussel populations decline immediately downstream of a wastewater outflow, then partially recover. This project uses a comparative multi-omics approach to assess the physiological impacts of pollution on mussels by integrating transcriptomics, metagenomics, and metabolomics. We will identify biomarkers of mussel health and environmental stress. Our findings will aid in the development of rapid diagnostic assays for mussel health assessment and provide critical insights into the mechanisms underlying pollution-induced declines in freshwater mussels worldwide.