Over the past decades, the global production of plastics has increased exponentially, as the synthesis of these materials has often revolutionized our daily lives. This increased production is accompanied by an equally large production of plastic waste, of which barely 10% is recycled. Thus, the environment can be extremely polluted by plastics from different polymers, which when not recycled decompose into micro-plastics (100 nm - 5 mm) and then into nano-plastics (1 - 100 nm). These smallest particles are also the most dangerous for biodiversity and can be found in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Most studies have found that ingestion of plastic particles is generally not lethal. However, it may be associated with alterations in the behavior, reproduction, growth or physiology of the contaminated organism. These effects have been reported mainly in marine or freshwater species. Organisms living in terrestrial ecosystems have received less attention. However, the few studies that have been carried out have highlighted the toxic effects of these micro-plastics in different species, notably because of the transmission of these plastic particles through the trophic chain. In addition, the capacity of soils to store plastic fragments. Thus, plants and soil organisms living in the soil can find agglomerates and thus potentially doped quantities.

The insect class is the most diverse group of organisms on earth. They can involuntarily ingest small plastic fragments, which affects their physiology and behavior. In this context, it is urgent to consolidate our knowledge of the effects of environmental contamination by nano-plastics on terrestrial biodiversity. In this project, the objective is to enrich the knowledge by investigating the effects of ingestion of plastic fragments on the physiology and behavior of insects, using Drosophila as a model insect.