# Development of analytical methods for detecting microcystins in fish tissue

> **NIH FDA U18** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $5,725

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) consisting of cyanobacterial species have been increasing in waterways in the
United States and elsewhere due to the impacts of pollution and climate change. Cyanobacteria produce a
number of cyanotoxins, the most common of which are microcystin-LR and related microcystins, which are
potent hepatotoxins. Microcystins are known to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, some of which are part of
the human food chain. While commercial ELISA kits are available to screen water samples for microcystins
and Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) methods have been developed to quantitate
microcystin in water, there has been limited research on detecting or quantitating microcystins and their
metabolites in biological matrices. Some studies have attempted to use commercial ELISA kits developed to
screen water samples to screen samples of fish meat, but these methods have not been thoroughly validated.
We will develop and validate a robust quantitative LC/MS method to quantitate microcystin in fish, other animal
tissues, to be used for veterinary diagnostic investigation and food safety assurance. This method will be used
to validate the rapid ELISA-based screening method that has been developed Todd Miller at the University of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11075654
- **Project number:** 1U18FD008339-01
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Karyn Bischoff
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $5,725
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11075654

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11075654, Development of analytical methods for detecting microcystins in fish tissue (1U18FD008339-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11075654. Licensed CC0.

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