Harnessing PET to Study the In Vivo Fate and Health Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics

摘要 候选人：候选人是纽约州立大学亨特学院泽格里斯博士实验室的博士后研究员。 她提出的研究将为K99阶段之后的独立研究生涯提供坚实的基础 这笔赠款的。她的长期职业目标是在环境污染研究方面建立一个强有力的项目 利用分子成像技术。为了实现这一目标，她制定了一项职业计划，这将(1)拓宽她的技术 和科学技能(2)加强她的演讲和沟通能力，培养她的专业技能 (3)丰富她的指导技能，(4)为她向独立的过渡做好准备。 研究：微纳米塑料在环境中的扩散正以惊人的速度增长 微塑料和纳米塑料已被发现是各种环境中的持久性和普遍存在的污染物， 包括海水、淡水、土壤、污水和空气。鉴于这一令人痛心的现象，对 微塑料(&lt；5毫米)和纳米塑料(&lt；100 nm)污染物可能对健康造成的影响已经成为 未得到满足的科学需求。这项调查的总体目标是研究生物分布和对健康的影响。 利用一种灵敏和定量的分子成像技术对哺乳动物体内的微塑料和纳米塑料进行研究：正电子 发射断层扫描(PET)。PET的精致敏感性是这一策略的主要优势，它将 促进环境相关浓度的微塑料和纳米塑料的非侵入性追踪。这个 具体目的是：1)测定放射性塑料在小鼠肺损伤后的生物蓄积和生物滞留。 和经口暴露，2)量化放射性塑料在妊娠小鼠体内的生物累积和生物保留 口腔和肺部暴露，以及3)量化微塑料和纳米塑料暴露的促炎效应 通过非侵入性方法。 环境：亨特学院以其高度协作的环境而闻名，以促进跨学科 研究工作，如本申请中提出的工作。候选人由泽格里斯博士指导，他是一名 公认的无机放射化学家，在临床前研究中具有开创性工作 放射性药物。此外，她还得到了环境毒物学家斯台普顿博士的共同指导，斯台普顿博士 为塑料研究做出了开创性和创新性的贡献。亨特学院提供了一套丰富的 协作、技术和科学资源，以执行这里提出的研究和职业发展。

ABSTRACT CANDIDATE: The candidate is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Zeglis at Hunter College of CUNY. Her proposed research will provide a strong foundation for independent research career following the K99 phase of this grant. Her long-term career goal is to establish a robust program in environmental pollution research utilizing molecular imaging. To achieve this, she has developed a career plan that will (1) broaden her technical and scientific skills (2) strengthen her presentation and communication skills, and cultivate her professional relationships, (3) enrich her mentoring skills, and (4) prepare her for the transition to independence. RESEARCH: The proliferation of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment is increasing at an alarming rate. Micro- and nanoplastics have been found to be persistent and ubiquitous pollutants in a variety of environments, including sea water, fresh water, soil, sewage, and air. In light of this harrowing phenomenon, the evaluation of the possible health effects of microplastic (<5 mm) and nanoplastic (<100 nm) pollutants has emerged as an unmet scientific need. The over-arching goal of this investigation is to study the biodistribution and health effects of micro- and nanoplastics in mammals using a sensitive and quantitative molecular imaging technique: positron emission tomography (PET). The exquisite sensitivity of PET is major advantage of this strategy, as it will facilitate the non-invasive tracking of micro- and nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations. The specific aims are: 1) To determine the bioaccumulation and bioretention of radioplastics in mice after pulmonary and oral exposure, 2) To quantify the bioaccumulation and bioretention of radioplastics in pregnant mice after oral and pulmonary exposure, and 3) To quantify the pro-inflammatory effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure via non-invasive approaches. ENVIRONMENT: Hunter College is known for its highly collaborative environment to facilitate interdisciplinary research efforts such as those proposed in this application. The candidate is mentored by Dr. Zeglis, a recognized inorganic radiochemist with groundbreaking work in preclinical investigations of radiopharmaceuticals. In addition, she is co-mentored by Dr. Stapleton, an environmental toxicologist who has done pioneering and innovative contributions to the plastic research. Hunter College provides a rich set of collaborative, technical and scientific resources to execute the research and career development proposed here.