NC A&T Scientist Researches Link between Mammals and Shrimp

July 9, 1997

Greensboro, NC: Hoping to facilitate research in the chemical causes of human birth defects, a research scientist from the North Carolina A&T State University School of Agriculture is investigating a unique subject.

Dr. Linda Niedziela, adjunct assistant professor/biotechnologist in the NC A&T Department of Animal Science, is researching the molecular (genetic and protein) similarities between mammals and brine shrimp, with the intention of proving the shrimp to be viable subjects for human birth defect research.

"In the early stages of development, mammals and shrimp may have a number of similarities," said Niedziela. "If we can prove the extent of these similarities to be sufficient for research, scientists will have a new tool to use in studying the chemical causes of human birth defects."

Currently, most researchers of human birth defects use rodents and other small animals; however, animal rights concerns and economic issues have prompted the search for alternative test subjects.

"Because the brine shrimp develop quickly, it is possible to obtain large populations at the same stage of development, which makes their use as test subjects for initial screening an attractive alternative to the more time-consuming and costly tests involving rats, mice and other small mammals," said Niedziela.

To prove this option viable, Niedziela and Dr. Randolph Sleet, a senior research toxicologist with the Center for Life Sciences and Toxicology at the Research Triangle Institute, are studying different aspects of the brine shrimp through a number of means.

Sleet focuses much of his research on the morphology and biosynthetic pathways of the shrimp, while Niedziela focuses her work on the shrimp's molecular components. Niedziela and Sleet work together under a grant by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

According to Sleet, less than ten percent of organic chemicals currently on the market have been tested for their potential to cause birth defects, and 70 percent of human birth defects are thought to result from maternal exposure to these chemicals.

Still, despite the need for it, testing these chemicals for their implication in birth defects is expensive and time-consuming. According to Sleet, tests using traditional animals cost between $50,000 and $100,000 per test.

By using the brine shrimp to determine the necessity of further tests involving mammals, researchers would be able to cut expenses and time requirements, and test more chemicals.

To investigate the similarities between brine shrimp and mammals, Sleet and Niedziela compare the reactions of the shrimp with the reactions of mammals exposed to the same chemical. Eventually, Sleet and Niedziela hope to test chemicals which haven't been previously tested on mammals.

"There is little doubt about the importance of preventing birth defects," said Niedziela. "Anything that helps researchers better understand the causes of birth defects will go far in helping this effort.

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For more information, please contact Dr. Linda Niedziela, NC A&T Department of Animal Science, (336) 334-7709.