"All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it"
Paracelsus (1493 - 1541), "the father of toxicology"
As these words indicate, all substances can be poisonous depending on the amount ingested, and the amount varies from individual to individual and species to species.
Our laboratory is particularly interested in a field of "Environmental Toxicology" that investigates toxicological effects of environmental pollutants on humans and wildlife (mammals, birds, and fish) using a variety of experimental techniques.
Our Mission
Environmental pollution, such as marine pollution from microplastics, is still a serious problem and an international issue that is included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are large species differences in the sensitivity to chemical substances, and the degree of toxicity of the same chemical substance differs among animal species. This is sometimes the cause of "chemical hazards," the mass deaths of wildlife caused by environmental pollutants.
By combining our knowledge of multiple animals, which is a characteristic of the School of Veterinary Medicine, with computer simulations and other methods, we are trying to elucidate the sensitivity of wild animals to chemical substances and the mechanisms of toxicity of environmental pollutants, which are difficult to test invasively.
Research
Ongoing projects
・Toxicity assessment of environmental pollutants by exposure testing and histopathological exploration
・Development of novel toxicity test methods for environmental pollutants and natural toxins
・Development of toxicity assessment methods for rare species using cultured cells
・Evaluation of wildlife toxicity using molecular simulation technology and machine learning
・Joint research with pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies on new drug development, safety assessment
・Toxicity assessment of endemic species in the Ogasawara Islands