Community Spotlight

Rebeka Merson

Environmental molecular toxicology

When asked about my research I say that I study environmental molecular toxicology. That is a mouthful and a mindbender to most people. So I try to make a connection by explaining that certain chemicals found in the environment are toxic to wildlife and humans and that I study how these compounds cause harm. Compounds of particular interest are part of the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon (HAH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) classes of chemicals, which enter the environment by fossil fuel burning, incomplete waste combustion, and by dumping. And some of these chemicals are present in cigarette smoke. They are present in wildlife and human tissues, including that of people inhabiting remote areas, far from the sources.

The overall research objective of the Merson Lab is to reveal mechanisms underlying toxicity of HAH and PAHs. We know many toxic effects depend on binding and activation of intracellular receptor proteins, which also act as transcription factors, proteins that control gene expression. We study the structural and functional diversity of these receptors and the relationships between target genes and species sensitivity to chemical exposure.

Innovation is a hallmark of the Merson Lab; by combining cutting-edge and traditional methods with diverse laboratory and environmental models, we investigate the effects of environmental chemicals at multiple organizational levels (molecules to ecosystems). Students are integrated into every aspect of scientific pursuit from project conception, literature search, experimental design, and laboratory work, to writing up the results in scientific papers and reports to funding agencies. This mission provides a dynamic learning experience, creates enthusiasm for research and an appreciation for current and emerging issues in environmental toxicology, and endows students with hands-on laboratory training.

INBRE Grant title: Role Partitioning by Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptors (AHR) in Cell Regulation and Toxicity