Synthesis and measurement of cyanotoxins to understand human exposure from water and air
Official title: Synthesis and quantitation of microcystins and anabaenopeptins in the Great Lakes region to establish human exposure risks via ingestion and inhalation
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11552469 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will make precise chemical standards and measurement methods for cyanotoxins from harmful algal blooms to better estimate how people might be exposed through drinking water and air.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $556,448 |
| NIH project number | 4R01ES034017-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11552469 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are individuals in communities affected by cyanotoxin exposure through water or air, or populations at risk of exposure via drinking water or aerosols.
✕Less likely to help
There may be no direct benefit for individuals who are not exposed to cyanotoxins or who participate in no outlining human data collection.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will develop reliable synthetic standards for cyanotoxins like microcystins and anabaenopeptins and create mass spectrometry workflows to detect and quantify them. They will study how ingestion and inhalation contribute to human exposure and investigate how environmental factors related to weather, farming, and water systems influence toxin levels. The work aims to build better tools and data to protect public health and inform advisories and water safety decisions. The project focuses on a region around the Great Lakes and involves Wayne State University in Detroit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could improve monitoring and mitigation of cyanotoxin exposures, helping protect drinking water, recreational waters, and seafood from toxin-related risks.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has advanced cyanotoxin detection but there is a need for standardized reference materials and robust exposure pathways analysis.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Westrick, Judy a — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Westrick, Judy a
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.