Current Research

The EcoToxChip project aims to develop, test, validate, and commercialize quantitative PCR arrays (EcoToxChips) and a data evaluation tool (EcoToxXplorer.ca) for the characterization, prioritization, and management of environmental chemicals and complex mixtures of regulatory concern.

FUNDING
2016-2021 Genome Canada’s Large Scale Applied Research Program $9.7M

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Nil Basu, McGill University
Co-PI: Doug Crump, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Co-PI: Markus Hecker, University of Saskatchewan
Co-Lead: Jeff Xia, McGill University
Co-Lead: Jessica Head, McGill University
Co-Lead: Gordon Hickey, McGill University
Co-Lead: Steve Maguire, McGill University
Co-Lead: Natacha Hogan, University of Saskatchewan

KEY FINDINGS

• Basu N, Crump D, Head J, Hickey G, Hogan N, Maguire S, Xia J, Hecker M. 2019. EcoToxChip: A next-generation toxicogenomics tool for chemical prioritization and environmental management. Environ Toxicol Chem. 38(2):279-288. Available at: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/etc.4309
• Farhat A, Crump D, Bidinosti L, Boulanger E, Basu N, Hecker M, Head JA. 2019. AnEarly-life Stage Alternative Testing Strategy for Assessing the Impacts of Environmental Chemicals in Birds. Environ Toxicol Chem. doi:10.1002/etc.4582

 

The project aims to build upon long-standing, extensive occupational and environmental health (OEH) research and training collaborations between academic and government partner institutions in Ghana, as well as other countries of West Africa and McGill University so as to sustainably enhance capacity for world-class scientific research and research training which address and inform key national and regional occupational and environmental health priorities and policies. Learn more...

FUNDING
2015-2021 US NIH Fogarty International Center and IDRC Canada $4M

INVESTIGATORS
Co-PI: Julius Fobil, University of Ghana
Co-PI: Thomas Robins, University of Michigan
McGill PI: Nil Basu, McGill University

KEY FINDINGS

• Srigboh RK, Basu N, Stephens J, Asampong E, Perkins M, Neitzel RL, Fobil J.Multiple elemental exposures amongst workers at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste(e-waste) site in Ghana. Chemosphere. 2016 Dec;164:68-74. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.08.089
• Heacock M, Trottier B, Adhikary S, Asante KA, Basu N, Brune MN, Caravanos J,Carpenter D, Cazabon D, Chakraborty P, Chen A, Barriga FD, Ericson B, Fobil J,Haryanto B, Huo X, Joshi TK, Landrigan P, Lopez A, Magalini F, Navasumrit P,Pascale A, Sambandam S, Aslia Kamil US, Sly L, Sly P, Suk A, Suraweera I, TaminR, Vicario E, Suk W. Prevention-intervention strategies to reduce exposure toe-waste. Rev Environ Health. 2018 Jun 27;33(2):219-228. doi:10.1515/reveh-2018-0014.
• Basu N, Ayelo PA, Djogbénou LS, Kedoté M, Lawin H, Tohon H, Oloruntoba EO,Adebisi NA, Cazabon D, Fobil J, Robins T, Fayomi B. Occupational andEnvironmental Health Risks Associated with Informal Sector Activities-SelectedCase Studies from West Africa. New Solut. 2016 Aug;26(2):253-70. doi:10.1177/1048291116651726.

 

Our vision is to establish a transdisciplinary research programme at McGill concerning the design, development, evaluation, and use of sustainable materials (i.e., functional materials and molecules) to help address grand challenges of the 21st century. Learn more...

FUNDING
2017-2020 McGill University $1.2M

INVESTIGATORS
Co-PI: Nil Basu, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, McGill
Co-PI: Audrey Moores, Faculty of Science, McGill
Co-PI: George Demopoulos, Faculty of Engineering, McGill
Saji George, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, McGill
+ 13 more McGill Professors

KEY FINDINGS

• The MSSI Materials Theme group has directly supported 16 HQP (highly qualified personnel, e.g. graduate students & postdocs), and has provided networking and professional development opportunities to 40 more HQP.

 

Our research will focus first on determining the extent to which our food, drinking water and breast milk contain the chemicals that have emerged as replacements for polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, phthalates and bisphenol A. We will then determine if these new alternatives are safer than the substances that they have replaced. We will investigate the effectiveness of various food preparation procedures and water purification strategies to decrease exposure and thus prevent possible adverse health effects associated with alternatives that are deemed to be hazardous. Finally, we will analyze international regulations and regulatory processes related to the assessment of alternatives, with a focus on Canada, US, Europe and South Africa. Learn more...

FUNDING
2016-2021 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Environments and Health: Intersectoral Prevention Research (Agri-Food)  $2M

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Dr. B. Hales, McGill University
Co-Investigator: Stéphane Bayen, McGill University
+20 other researchers

 

This project develops and applies an integrated suite of chemical and biological methods as early warning tools to assess the health of Qatar’s marine environment. The central theme is to develop an investigative monitoring program around the use of the pearl oyster, P. radiata, as a sentinel or guardian species

FUNDING
2016-2020 Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) $816,104

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Dr. A. Leitão-Ben Hamadou, Qatar University
Co-PI: Stéphane Bayen, McGill University
Co-PI: Brett Lyons, Cefas
+2 others

 

This project develops and applies a suite of targeted and non-targeted strategies to investigate contaminant profiles in trout collected from the Great Lakes.

FUNDING
2018-2020 Food for Tomorrow-Cap Aliment Grants (France) $128,004

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Dr. G. Dervilly (LABERCA, France)
Co-PI: Stephane Bayen, McGill University
Collaborator: Daryl McGoldrick. Environment and Climate Change Canada

 

A multi-institute training program with the objective to prepare the next generation of environmental scientists by providing them with specialized training on new state-of-the-art technologies and data treatment strategies to work in sectors related to the measurement of emerging contaminants, their biological effects and their remediation. Learn more...

FUNDING
2019-2025 NSERC CREATE Program $1.65M

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Kevin Wilkinson, Université de Montréal
Co-PI: Stephane Bayen, McGill University
Co-PI: Nil Basu, McGill University
+ 8 others

 

EcotoQ est un regroupement de chercheurs en écotoxicologie financé par le Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies. Sa mission est de documenter la présence et le flux des contaminants dans l’environnement (eau, air, sol), d’en étudier les effets sur la faune et la flore, et de fournir au gouvernement, au public et aux médias, un accès à la meilleure expertise québécoise en matière de contamination de l’environnement. Lire plus...

FUNDING
2019-2021 Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies $420,000

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Patrice Couture, INRS
Stephane Bayen, McGill University
Melissa McKinney, McGill University
Joann Whalen, McGill University
Jessica Head, McGill University
Nil Basu, McGill University

 

To examine how endocrine-disrupting contaminants may interfere with the ability of Arctic birds to adjust their behavior in response to climate change

FUNDING
2015-2020 Northern Contaminants Program $140K

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Kyle Elliott, McGill University
Co-PI: Kim Fernie, McGill University
Co-PI: Jessica Head, McGill University

 

This project explores the epigenetic basis of responses to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in birds.

FUNDING
2015-2018 National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant $165,000

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Jessica Head

KEY FINDINGS

• Head, Jessica. "An Ecotoxicological Perspective on Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance." Environmental toxicology and chemistry 38.6 (2019): 1149-1151.
• Brandenburg, Jonas, and Jessica A. Head. "Effects of in ovo exposure to benzo [k] fluoranthene (BkF) on CYP1A expression and promoter methylation in developing chicken embryos." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology 204 (2018): 88-96.
• Franci, Cynthia D., et al. "Potency of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in chicken and Japanese quail embryos." Environmental toxicology and chemistry 37.6 (2018): 1556-1564.

 

We are working to establish whether environmental contaminants are impeding the recovery of the copper redhorse (Moxostoma hubbsi), a critically endangered species of fish that is endemic to Quebec. Our current approach is to assess effects of exposure to environmental levels of pesticides on early life stage copper redhorse at an organismal and molecular level.

FUNDING
2018-2021 Fisheries and Oceans Canada $290,000

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Jessica Head
Co-PI: Benjamin Barst (University of Alaska)
Co-PI: Magali Houde (ECCC)
Co-PI: Nathalie Vachon (MFFP)

 

This research project will determine whether pesticides from flooded fields can enter the water column and cause harm to fish embryos and larvae.

FUNDING
2018-2021 Pole d’expertise Lac Saint-Pierre, MELCC, MAPAQ $171,000

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Jessica Head
Co-PI: Gilbert Cabana (UQTR)
Co-PI: Shiv Prasher (McGill University)
Co-PI: Denis Roy (McGill University)

 

This on-going study seeks to understand the variation in multiple stressors, including contaminants, and their cumulative effects in Alaskan polar bears that use onshore habitat relative to those that continue to use sea ice habitat year round.

FUNDING
2012-2019 US Geological Survey $350,000

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Melissa McKinney
Co-PI: Todd Atwood (USGS)
Co-PI: Elizabeth Peacock (USGS)

KEY FINDINGS

• McKinney, M. A., Atwood, T., Iverson, S. J. & Peacock, E. Temporal complexity of southern Beaufort Sea polar bear diets during a period of increasing land use. Ecosphere 8, e01633, (2017).
• McKinney, M. A., Atwood, T. C., Pedro, S. & Peacock, E. Ecological change drives a decline in mercury concentrations in southern Beaufort Sea polar bears. Environ. Sci. Technol. 51, 7814-7822, (2017).
• McKinney, M. A. et al. Validation of adipose lipid content as a body condition index for polar bears. Ecol. Evol. 4, 516-527, (2014).

 

This research program aims to determine the safety of dietary engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) by addressing current knowledge gaps on their fate, transformation, toxicity and exposure level. Specific aims are to, (i) determine the changes in physico-chemical properties of dietary ENMs when exposed to food processing, storage and physiological conditions, and determine the effect of ENM transformation on nano-bio interactions, (ii) determine gastro-intestinal toxicity of ENMs through next generation toxicology approach, and (iii) develop exposure assessment matrix for ENMs in food by integrating advancements in analytical instrumentation. Learn more...

FUNDING
2018-2021 NSERC $250K

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Saji George, McGill University

KEY FINDINGS

• Nanoparticles of silica change their surface chemistry in response to food handling temperatures and could negatively affect the structure and function of digestive enzymes
• Proteome analysis of human saliva interacted dietary nanoparticles showed type and size dependent protein identity and potential to compromise the functions of vital salivary proteins

 

To develop eco.OmicsAnalyst as an intuitive, cloud-based tool to support genomic (metabolomics, transcriptomics) data analysis and visualization, beginning with 12 key ecological indicator species covering fish, birds, mammals and invertebrates. Learn more...

FUNDING
2018-2021 Genome Canada’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program $1.1M

INVESTIGATORS
PI: Jeff Xia, McGill University
Co-PI: Nil Basu, McGill University
Co-PI: Guillaume Bourque, McGill University