How pollution near Superfund sites may change the placenta and lead to early birth
Project 2: Investigating the role of PAH exposures associated with superfund site proximity in preterm birth etiology through placental transcriptomics and metagenomics
This research looks at whether pollution from nearby Superfund sites changes the placenta's genes and microbes in pregnant people and raises the risk of preterm birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11388576 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to allow researchers to analyze your placenta after delivery and share related health and exposure information. The team will measure pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and use advanced lab methods (RNA-seq, bisulfite sequencing, ATAC-seq, protein arrays, and metagenomics) to profile gene activity, DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, protein levels, and microbial content. They will combine these molecular datasets using machine learning to look for patterns that link PAH exposure to placental changes and early birth. The aim is to understand how living near contaminated sites might alter the placenta in ways that increase preterm birth risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people—particularly those living near Superfund or other contaminated sites or with suspected PAH exposure—who are willing to provide placental tissue and health records after delivery are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, lack PAH exposure, cannot provide placental samples, or need immediate clinical treatment rather than research participation are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify placental markers that help predict or guide prevention of pollution-related preterm birth.
How similar studies have performed: Epidemiologic studies have linked PAH exposure and proximity to contaminated sites with higher preterm birth risk, but combining placental epigenomics, transcriptomics, and metagenomics in this way is relatively new and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Suter, Melissa — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Suter, Melissa
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.