Quentin PEIGNOT

As part of his thesis, Quentin Peignot participated to the development of a prototype kit (BASIC test) to assess the toxicity of chemical compounds on the copepod Eurytemora affinis, to provide a new tool specifically designed for estuarine ecosystems. The main objectives of this research were (1) to compare the response of the BASIC test with that of other commercial kits that are not specific to estuarine environments, (2) to assess the sensitivity of the test considering the genetic diversity found within the cryptic species complex Eurytemora affinis by studying a population from the Seine estuary (France) and two populations from the Saint Lawrence estuary (Canada), (3) to improve and standardise copepods culture conditions, and (4) to develop a method for Eurytemora affinis eggs preservation.

Quentin Peignot is currently a research engineer. The objective of his work is to develop a cryopreservation protocol for Eurytemora affinis copepod eggs in order to continue the development of the BASIC bioassay into a kit (CryoNov project).