Integrating transcriptomics into triad-based soil-quality assessment.

The present study examined how transcriptomics tools can be included in a triad-based soil-quality assessment to assess the toxicity of soils from riverbanks polluted by metals. To that end, the authors measured chemical soil properties and used the International Organization for Standardization guideline for ecotoxicological tests and a newly developed microarray for gene expression in the indicator soil arthropod Folsomia candida. Microarray analysis revealed that the oxidative stress response pathway was significantly affected in all soils except one.