# Bioaccumulation and developmental toxicity of seafood pollutants

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2024 · $163,918

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Consumption of seafood is a significant route of human exposure to persistent, teratogenic pollutants. Of concern
are exposures that occur early in life, with adverse reproductive, teratogenic, neurological, cardiovascular, and
immune outcomes. Effective prediction of the risks associated with these exposures requires an understanding
of mechanisms of bioaccumulation and developmental toxicity. The goals of Project 3 are to determine structural
and functional mechanisms of organohalogen interaction with Xenobiotic Transporters (XTs) and to determine
their developmental toxicity on the nascent germ line, a sensitive and relevant target of exposure. Such
mechanistic studies inform our understanding of how emerging pollutants, such as microbial transformation
products, are transferred from the environment, to seafood, and ultimately to humans. The Aims of this proposal
utilize knockout and transgenic sea urchins to determine the role of marine transporters in pollutant
accumulation, as well as biophysical and structural characterization of human, fish and sea urchin transporters
to precisely define their mechanisms of pollutant interaction. In parallel, we will use high throughput approaches
with sea urchin embryos and human cells to define developmental targets of these compounds. This study is
based on innovative approaches including development of novel marine models, high-throughput/high-content
imaging, the use of cryo-electron microscopy of XTs across different species of fish, and the generation of
synthetically evolved nanobodies. The results and resources have impact for a wide range of problems
developmental biology, pharmacology and toxicology, providing a foundation of knowledge necessary for
determining safe limits for seafood consumption.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10733145
- **Project number:** 1P01ES035541-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** AMRO M HAMDOUN
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $163,918
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-03-10 → 2029-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10733145

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10733145, Bioaccumulation and developmental toxicity of seafood pollutants (1P01ES035541-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10733145. Licensed CC0.

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