doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b00373engAllocca, M.Mattera, L.Bauduin, A.Miedziak, B.Moros, M.De Trizio, L.Tino, A.Reiss, P.Ambrosone, A.Tortiglione, C.An Integrated Multilevel Analysis Profiling Biosafety and Toxicity Induced by Indium- and Cadmium-Based Quantum Dots in VivoART-2019-111458Indium phosphide quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a new class of fluorescent nanocrystals for manifold applications, from biophotonics to nanomedicine. Recent efforts in improving the photoluminescence quantum yield, the chemical stability and the biocompatibility turned them into a valid alternative to well established Cd-based nanocrystals. In vitro studies provided first evidence for the lower toxicity of In-based QDs. Nonetheless, an urgent need exists for further assessment of the potential toxic effects in vivo. Here we use the freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris, a well-established model previously adopted to assess the toxicity of CdSe/CdS nanorods and CdTe QDs. A systematic multilevel analysis was carried out in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro comparing toxicity end points of CdSe- and InP-based QDs, passivated by ZnSe/ZnS shells and surface functionalized with penicillamine. Final results demonstrate that both the chemical composition of the QD core (InP vs CdSe) and the shell play a crucial role for final outcomes. Remarkably, in absence of in vivo alterations, cell and molecular alterations revealed hidden toxicity aspects, highlighting the biosafety of InP-based nanocrystals and outlining the importance of integrated multilevel analyses for proper QDs risk assessment.2019http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/8821510.1021/acs.est.9b00373http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/88215oai:zaguan.unizar.es:88215info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/660228/EU/Profiling gene expression in Hydra vulgaris following Gold Nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia/HyHeatThis project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 660228-HyHeatENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 53, 7 (2019), 3938-3947All rights reservedhttp://www.europeana.eu/rights/rr-f/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess