Worm genomics provides environmental monitoring tool

Seeking partners

Scientists at the University of Cardiff, Wales, have developed genomics-based techniques for monitoring environmental pollution.

Peter Kille, who carried out the research, says the results will usher in a new era of environmental forensics, in which these new genomics tools could be used to monitor the effects of release of pesticides or wastes into the environment, or to carry out assessments of pollution at industrial sites. He is now looking for industrial partners to validate and commercialise the research.

Kille has worked with the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans as a primary receptor of toxic chemicals in soil. As all 21,000 genes have been sequenced it is possible to use this tiny worm in soil quality control.

“For example, the presence of the heavy metal cadmium switches on a particular gene,” said Kille, describing his research to delegates at the BioWales Conference held in Cardiff earlier this month. This can be deployed to detect cadmium in the field, and it is possible also to work backwards and see the physiological effects of this particular gene being expressed.

Kille said it is possible to engineer C. elegans with a fluorescence gene to make the worm glow in the presence of cadmium.

“In other words you can turn genomics into diagnostic tools.” Kille has also worked out the precise pattern of gene expression when C. elegans is exposed to chemicals such as the pesticides atrazine and aldecarb.

Now the research is being extended to take in proteomics and metabolomics of C. elegans. “You can look at all the metabolites that are expressed and work out the difference in expression in organisms living with and without heavy metals for example,” said Kille.

“There is now a wealth of diagnostic data. We want to link with industry to develop robust endpoints.” Kille believes such biomarkers of environmental pollution could be commercialised and applied in the same way as their counterparts are now coming into use in healthcare.