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Isaac Dotson, Megan Pizzo, Kaitlynn Gaebe, Kimberly Gaebe, Dr. Kyle Harris, and Dr. Abigail Solitro, Department of Biology and Chemistry, 1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg, VA 24515
In the natural environment, it is common for pesticides to enter aquatic systems through stormwater runoff or spray application. The pesticides can then interact with non-target organisms throughout the freshwater ecosystems. One common non-target organism in southeastern aquatic ecosystems is the crayfish. As bioindicators, crayfish are a useful model organism to assess the overall health of their environment. Although past studies have shown that crayfish are negatively impacted by common pesticides, little is known about the specific sub-lethal toxicity of pesticides. Previous studies in this lab have identified the sub-lethal effects of common pesticides on crayfish hepatopancreas tissue and the purpose of this project is to determine individual toxicity of atrazine, glyphosate, and 2,4-D at 5ppb on crayfish by analyzing hepatopancreas tissue for GGT production. Gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) is an enzyme in crayfish hemolymph that is upregulated in the presence of toxins. When crayfish are exposed to toxins, the hepatopancreas functions to detoxify the pollutants, and may upregulate GGT to combat oxidative damage. Thus, when crayfish are subjected to pesticides, it is hypothesized that there will be an increase in GGT production.
Presenters: Isaac Dotson, Megan Pizzo, Kaitlynn Gaebe, Kimberly Gaebe
Institution: Liberty University
Type: Poster
Subject: Biology
Status: Approved
