# Environmental, Microbial and Mammalian Biomolecular Responses to AhR Ligands

> **NIH NIH P42** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $2,131,730

## Abstract

OVERALL CENTER SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Support is requested to continue human health-oriented research on risks from exposure to chemicals
commonly found in Superfund sites and on remediation technologies to minimize exposure to chemicals from
those sites. The pollutants under investigation belong to the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon family that
bind and activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). These chemicals, which include polychlorinated
dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, biphenyls and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, are environmentally persistent,
lipid soluble contaminants that bioaccumulate in the food chain leading to human and wildlife exposure. A
highly integrated, multidisciplinary research program is proposed consisting of five research projects and five
supporting cores. The research team includes 25 investigators from Michigan State University (20), Emory
University (1), Purdue University (1), Rutgers University (2) and the Michigan Department of Health and
Human Services (1). The central overarching theme of the proposed program is to define specific
aspects of environmental, microbial and mammalian biomolecular responses to environmental
contaminants that act as agonists for the AhR. The major research thrusts will provide new mechanistic
information regarding: (1) the diversity and physiogenomic responses of (chloro)dioxin degrading microbial
populations indigenous to soils, sediments and groundwater; (2) the geochemical parameters governing
adsorbtion, bioavailability and long-term fate of AhR ligands through interactions with geosorbent compositions
in soils and sediment components; and (3) the mechanisms of action and computational modeling of
interactions between specific biochemical pathways and ligand-activated AhR associated with the liver, thyroid
and immune system responses. The Computational Modeling Core (CMC) will develop dynamic computational
models of biological responses induced by AhR ligands. An Administrative Core will support research, training,
community engagement, data management, and information and technology transfer in this Superfund
Research Center (SRC). Within the Administrative Core, research translation will disseminate research
findings to target audiences in government, industry and academia. A Community Engagement Core (CEC)
will communicate with community stakeholders through engagement with county and city health officials in
three new Michigan communities that continue to experience dioxin exposure. A Data Management and
Analysis Core will provide the technology, expertise, infrastructure and training necessary to curate datasets,
metadata, processing and analyses needed to properly manage and share high quality reproducible data.
Lastly, a Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC) will ensure cross-disciplinary training
to pre- and postdoctoral trainees.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10353530
- **Project number:** 2P42ES004911-27A1
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Norbert E Kaminski
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $2,131,730
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1997-04-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10353530

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10353530, Environmental, Microbial and Mammalian Biomolecular Responses to AhR Ligands (2P42ES004911-27A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10353530. Licensed CC0.

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