How seafood pollutants build up and affect early development
Bioaccumulation and developmental toxicity of seafood pollutants
This project looks at how pollutants in seafood accumulate and harm early development, which matters for people who eat seafood—especially pregnant people and developing babies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11373201 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use engineered sea urchins that lack or carry specific transporter proteins to see how pollutants concentrate in marine life and move through development. They will compare transporter proteins from sea urchins, fish, and humans using biophysical methods including cryo-electron microscopy to map how pollutants bind. High-throughput imaging of sea urchin embryos and tests on human cells will identify which developmental processes are disrupted. Together these approaches aim to trace how environmental chemicals transfer from the ocean into seafood and potentially into people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people who eat seafood regularly, pregnant people concerned about exposure, or volunteers willing to provide samples or exposure information for pollutant research.
Not a fit: People with health issues unrelated to pollutant exposure or those looking for immediate medical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic lab-based research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify risky seafood contaminants and lead to better guidance to protect pregnant people and children.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies show some seafood pollutants accumulate and harm development, but using engineered marine models together with cross-species transporter structures and high-throughput embryo screening is a novel and more detailed approach.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hamdoun, Amro M — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Hamdoun, Amro M
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.