While I tweeted this on the day of the grand event, I have yet to blog about the most recent graduate from the Wilson Tox Lab, Eugene Choi.  Eugene successfully defended his MSc degree at the end of September.

His research was focused on rainbow trout and the effects of acetaminophen, a common pain reliever that is used extensively by humans and released into surface waters through waste water effluent.  All drugs we consume leave our body through urine and feces; they are flushed down the toilet and join our waste water stream.  For fish living downstream of treatment plants, this means they are often exposed to low levels of complex drug mixtures containing our most commonly used drugs.

Prior work in the lab by Mike Galus had shown that acetaminophen causes histological changes in the kidneys of zebrafish and Eugene determined that similar effects were seen in trout.  Eugene discovered this during his undergraduate thesis and stayed in the Wilson Tox Lab to determine if the impacted organs in trout functioned properly.

Eugene’s research is a great mix of physiology and histology.  He has examined impacts of acetaminophen on liver, gill and kidney and his research demonstrates that organ function is impaired in fish with acetaminophen exposures.  Fish take up less oxygen in through their gills when swimming and gills show swelling in the filaments and lamellae, increasing the diffusion distance for oxygen.  Exposed fish are losing important ions, glucose and protein in their urine and this is coupled with cellular changes in the kidney tubules.  Important data for us when we consider the environmental effects of pharmaceuticals in our surface waters.

Congratulations Eugene!

This week is McMaster’s first Water Week, a week celebrating the and connecting the links between water science, technology and policy to deliver local and global impacts.  This is the signature event kicking off the new McMaster Water Network.  This network will be a platform for water science, engineering and policy across our faculties.

So far, this week has been a resounding success with documentary screenings, public lectures, and workshops.  Yesterday was the Student research poster showcase.  Over 60 undergraduate and graduate students presented their research and ideas all around water.  I was amazed at the turnout, both in terms of student involvement, and people at the poster session.  It bodes very well for the Water Network and really showed the extent of water research ongoing at McMaster!

Undergraduate thesis student Shayen Sreetharan has been working in the Wilson lab over the last year.  He was a summer researcher and has been focused on lake whitefish, a species we are increasingly using to study the effects of chemical, thermal, and radiological stress.  In his project over the last year, Shayen did a wonderful job of developing a staging series for lake whitefish and identifying their growth (weight and morphology) throughout development.  His work has been recently submitted for publication – an amazing feat for a 3rd year undergraduate.  Shayen presented his whitefish staging series and growth data as part of the Student Research Showcase.

Shayen won the Philomathia Water Prize in the undergraduate competition.   Congratulations on your success!

Michal Galus has been a graduate student in my lab for the last 5 years, working on his PhD.  He completed his BSc degree at McMaster in Biology and got his first taste of toxicology in the lab of Dr. Grant McClelland working on metal toxicology in zebrafish.  He entered my to start his MSc and helped launch a new research program; the impacts of human pharmaceuticals on fish.  Much of Michal’s research has focused on four drug; acetaminophen (common analgesic), carbamazepine (anti-epileptic and mood stabilizer), gemfibrozil (lipid regulator), and venlafaxine (anti-depressant).  The research started with one question in mind: Do low concentrations of human drugs cause negative effects in fish?

in the wild, human drugs are entering the aquatic environment through our waste water treatment plant discharge.  Contrary to what many might think, the direct use and excretion of drugs and their metabolites into sewage, is the major source.  These compounds are emerging as contaminants of concern because studies, like those that Michal has completed during his PhD, are showing that chronic exposure to low concentrations decrease reproduction, disrupt normal development, and cause cellular changes in major organs such as the kidneys.

Michal successfully defended his PhD on August 29 and is now completing final edits on his dissertation.  Congratulations Mike on a job well done!

Emily Hulley is just completing her second summer working in the lab on whitefish morphometrics.  Returning students are always a great addition to the lab because they come with existing lab skills and help with the training of the new students experiencing research for the first time.  Emily worked with Chris Thome and Charles Mitz over the last two summers and as she returns to University of Guelph for her last year, we wish her the best in completing her degree and graduating.  Here she describes her summer research.

Emily Hulley, Fourth year Bsc.  Honours Marine and Freshwater Biology student, University of Guelph

“I have been studying the effects that formalin and ethanol preservation techniques on the morphometrics and weights of whitefish hatchlings and eggs. I have also been assisting in the research of various chemical, thermal and radiation stressors on the development of whitefish through imaging and morphometrics. Lastly, I’ve been working with cell culturing rainbow trout gonad cell lines (RTG-2 cells) to investigate the different effects that radiation and thermal stressors have on cell survival. 
Outside of the lab, I spend most of my time outdoors hiking/camping, with friends or playing with my kitten.”

In a series of posts, I will ask each of the amazing summer students to introduce themselves and their research project.  This summer we have had plenty going on and the research the summer students are doing is greatly impacting our lab.

Charlotte Mitz, Expected Bsc. Honours Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Class of 2015.

Charlotte has been working on our whitefish project, primarily with Chris Thome, a PhD candidate.

“I image and perform morphometrics on the whitefish embryos to assist research investigating the effects of various stressors (including chronic morpholine exposure, temperature fluctuations, and the effects of radiation) on whitefish development. I have been culturing rainbow trout gonad cells (RTG-2 cells) to examine the effects of radiation and temperature fluctuations on cell growth and survival.

Outside of work, I’m currently studying for the MCAT and like to spend time with my friends and family.”