UCSD part of team behind possible breakthrough to fight mercury poisoning from seafood

Scripps Oceanography biogeochemist Amina Schartup in the lab Photo by Erik Jepsen UC San Diego New research from UC San Diego s Scripps Oceanography Institute and UCLA points toward a anticipated breakthrough to offset the effects of toxic forms of mercury in seafood Scientists uncovered that the engineered microbe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron a type of good gut bacteria was able to eliminate methylmercury in the digestive tract Results proved it lowered levels of the toxin in the feces and tissue of mice in just hours Results of the research were disclosed Thursday in the journal Cell Host and Microbe If the microbe is developed further to serve as detoxification therapy for people it could reduce risks of neurological impairments among children exposed to high levels of dietary methylmercury in the womb researchers explained Methylmercury results from a toxic transformation that occurs to mercury in the ocean This form of mercury when absorbed into the tissue increases in its concentration as it travels through the food chain Those who primarily eat food containing high mercury concentrations are at higher exposure While fitness authorities have issued advisories especially to pregnant women to avoid selected seafood the research s co-senior author Amina Schartup a marine biogeochemist at Scripps Oceanography mentioned that this isn t an option for the a multitude of women around the world Often they rely on fish as their sole source of protein Despite global efforts to reduce mercury emissions and its accumulation in fish methylmercury levels in seafood are not expected to decline anytime soon Fish remains a major and culturally essential part of the diet for several people around the world and we hope it continues to be Schartup stated Mercury pollutes the ocean from several sources the largest of which are human engagements like coal burning artisanal gold mining and consumer product waste Schartup commented she spent years working on mercury trash in the ocean and in seafood before she began to feel frustrated diagnosing problems without offering any solutions That prompted her to apply to the Scialog Microbiome Neurobiology and Illness initiative I was the only oceanographer in the cohort and I received a crash discipline in the gut-brain axis she mentioned Schartup linked with Elaine Hsiao her co-senior author in after she joined a Scialog research initiative through the Research Corporation for Science Advancement Hsiao associate professor and director of the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center joined her in pitching the project They received funding from the RCSA to analysis the ability of microbiomes to combat mercury toxicity in humans We envision the possibility that people could take a probiotic to offset the liability of consuming too much methylmercury especially when pregnant Hsiao explained Though Hsiao and Scharup continue to explore the bacterium and its expected for humans the project is on unstable terrain Funding is at threat with proposed budget cuts looming over the National Institutes of Physical condition