TWS Presents Dr. John Berry Early Life Stages of Marine and Freshwater Fish as Ecologically Relevant Toxicological Models for Environmental Contaminants

Date and Time

Friday, March 28 2025 at 3:00 PM EDT to

Friday, March 28 2025 at 4:00 PM EDT

Location

AB9 106, The Water School

11098 FGCU Blvd. N. , Fort Myers , FL

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Description

Aquatic systems are key components of the transport and fate of a wide range of environmental contaminants ranging from heavy metals to persistent organic pollutants (POP) to pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PCPP) to microbial biotoxins including, in particular, those from “harmful algal blooms” (HAB).  As such, aquatic organismsrepresent important ecological receptors of environmental contaminants; and of these, vertebrate fish are especially relevant as “sentinels” for impacts of aquatic toxicants in relation ecosystem, animal and human health.  Accordingly, early life stages of teleost fish have, in particular, emerged as toxicological models, over the past two decades, with studies utilizing the embryonic and larval stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio), as an established laboratory model, leading the way.  Alongside the emergence of the zebrafish as a toxicological model, a myriad of biomolecular techniques, specifically adapted to the species, have been developed including a number of “omics” based approaches.  These approaches are currently being employed in my group to investigate the adverse impacts of a wide range of environmental contaminants including, in particular, HAB and other microbial biotoxins, as well as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as nearly ubiquitous “forever” chemical contaminants of aquatic systems, in relation to not only aquatic animal and ecosystem health, but also potential links to human health, and towards “systems level models” of toxicity.  More recently, first of its kind research in my group has expanded these same approaches (developed in the zebrafish as a laboratory model) to ecologically and commercially relevant species including, in particular, a number of marine fish species to further understand more directly the impacts of toxic environmental contaminants in relation to these ecological receptors.  Ongoing research focused on the use of both laboratory models, and ecologically and commercially relevant species, of fish in relation to HAB toxins and PFAS, in this regard, will be presented. 

Brief Biography:  Dr. John Berry received his B.Sc. from University of Michigan (1993), and Ph.D. from Cornell University (1998), followed by National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral fellowships at both Cornell (NIH-National Cancer Institute) and University of Miami (NIH-National Institute of Environmental Health), with an interdisciplinary background - and corresponding degrees - in chemistry, biology and environmental toxicology.  Subsequently, Dr. Berry joined the University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), as part of the NIH-NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center, as an Assistant and, later, Associate Scientist in 2004 where he was among the first investigators to develop the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo as a toxicological model system, particularly in relation to toxins from “harmful algal blooms” (HABs).  In 2006, Dr. Berry joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University (FIU) as Assistant Professor, and subsequently and currently Associate Professor.  At FIU, he has continued to develop and conduct research with support of funding from sponsors including NIH, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Department of Agricultura (USDA), among others, focused on both HAB toxins, as globally important environmental toxicants, and more generally, the use of zebrafish, and other ecologically and commercially relevant fish species, in relation to a wide range of aquatic contaminants.  Alongside his position in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Berry is a member of the preeminent Institute of Environment (IoE), Biomolecular Science Institute (BSI) and Marine Science Program at FIU. 

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