Tuesday, November 12, 2002

WRITER: Helen Fosgate, (706) 542-2079, hfosgate@forestry.uga.edu
CONTACT: Richard Winn, (706) 369-5858, rwinn@arches.uga.edu

UGA RESEARCHER PATENTS NEW "LAB FISH" FOR ASSESSING HARMFUL CHEMICALS, MUTAGENS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

ATHENS, Ga. — A University of Georgia researcher has patented a new genetically engineered fish that will allow scientists to examine genetic damage caused by exposure to chemicals and other mutagens in the environment. This is the second such patent for Richard Winn, an aquatic toxicologist in UGA’s Warnell School of Forest Resources. Last year Winn was granted a patent on another fish, a guppie-sized transgenic Japanese medaka, also used for screening the effects of chemical contaminants on the body.

"We sought to improve the lab methods now being used to assess genetic damage," said Winn. "To that end, we generated genetically modified fish that carry genes that can detect this damage very efficiently."

After exposing the fish to a chemical, researchers look for changes in the target gene’s DNA. The research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, shows remarkably similar responses in fish compared to studies in mice and rats.

"A small mutation in the DNA can have serious effects, regardless of the species," said Winn.

Winn is using the new fish in a number of studies in UGA’s’ $1.3 million Aquatic and Biotechnology and Environmental Laboratory, completed last year. The fish will help scientists in studies examining the relative safety associated with the chemicals present in drinking water, pesticides in ground water and in assessing the UV radiation and chemical agents used in chemotherapy.

"The great benefit of using transgenic fish is that they are smaller, less expensive to keep and maintain than mammals, and they allow us to replicate studies quickly," said Winn.

Researchers are also testing the effectiveness of chemicals that claim to reduce mutations or prevent cancer, such as green tea. They’re also investigating whether juveniles are more sensitive than adults to chemical toxicants.

"Fish are receiving greater attention for their ability to demonstrate the unifying principles across species lines that make animals studies truly valuable and applicable to human health," said Winn.

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