Two members of CIMA, M. Bebianno and Thiago Rocha published the article “Changes in metallothione in transcription levels in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to CdTe quantum dots” recently in the Ecotoxiclogy journal. Quantum dots are fluorescent metal nanoparticles, which have a cadmium core and due to their optical properties have various biomedical, industrial and commercial applications. However, their metabolism and detoxification processes when accumulated in marine invertebrates, the hazards that these particles may have for human healthare still poorly understood. The work now published evaluates the accumulation of these nanoparticles in marine bivalves (the mussel) and confirms the relevant role of metallothionines and the transcription of the MT10 and MT20 genes in the process of detoxification of quantum dots, nanoparticles of Cd and tellurium when accumulated in mussels