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Assistant Professor
Dept.: EMT / CBEE |
Our laboratory investigates the environmental, health and safety impacts of nanotechnology in order to support the responsible development of this rapidly growing industry. Our current lack of information on the environmental fate and toxic potential of nanomaterials prohibits us from performing valid risk assessments. Issues of particle behavior, bioavailability and toxicity are central to quantitative risk assessment. Studies in the Harper laboratory are designed to effectively improve our understanding of how and why nanomaterials interact with and sometimes alter living systems.
Comparative Ecotoxicology - Food web studies comprising 4-trophic microcosms of algae, daphnids, rotifers and zebrafish are being used to determine the bioavailability and biomagnifications of nanoparticles in simulated aquatic ecosystems. Both acute and chronic exposures are being conducted to delineate the short and long-term dynamics and impact of nanoparticle-biological interactions in controlled aquatic environments.
Biological Response Modifiers of Oxidative Stress - Oxidative stress, the leading proposed mechanism by which nanomaterials exert their toxic action, is considered an underlying factor for a variety of diseases including cancer, diabetes, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s and obesity. Our research strategy combines data from biochemical analyses of whole animal oxidative status with data on the localization of oxidative imbalance. Integrated, computational methodologies are then applied to reveal the principal features of nanomaterials that may be unique to modifiers of oxidative stress.
Knowledgebase of Nanomaterial-Biological Interactions - The immediate need to gain comprehensive information on biological-nanomaterial interactions has led us to develop a comparative knowledgebase (i.e. knowledgebase of Nanomaterial-Biological Interactions, NBI, www.oregonstate.edu/nbi). NBI is intended to consolidate and integrate data of nanomaterial effects in experimental animal models (including humans) and evaluate biological effects from a variety of research platforms (i.e. in vivo and in vitro approaches). This effort will provide unbiased informatic approaches to identify the relative importance of characterization parameters on nanomaterial-biological interactions and to determine the capacity of biological assessment platforms to provide us with knowledge on the biological activity and toxic potential of nanomaterials.
Harper, S.L., C.Y. Usenko, J. Hutchison, B.L.S. Maddux and R.L. Tanguay. 2008. In vivo biodistribution and toxicity depends on nanomaterial composition, size, surface functionalization and route of exposure. Journal of Experimental Nanoscience 3: 195-206.
Vercruysse, K.P., S.L. Harper, D.M. Ivory, M.M. Whalen, K.S. Saili and R.L. Tanguay. 2008. Potential anti-inflammatory properties of biologically-synthesized nanoparticles of gold or silver. Nanotech 2008 2: 501-504.
Harper, S.L., J.A. Dahl, B.L.S. Maddux, R.L. Tanguay and J.E. Hutchison. 2008. Proactively designing nanomaterials to enhance performance and minimize hazard. International Journal of Nanotechnology 5: 124-142.
Usenko, C.Y., S.L. Harper and R.L. Tanguay. 2008. Exposure to C60 elicits an oxidative stress response in embryonic zebrafish. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 229, 44-55.
Usenko, C.Y., S.L. Harper and R.L. Tanguay. 2007. In vivo evaluation of carbon fullerene toxicity using embryonic zebrafish. Carbon 45: 1891-1898.
Harper, S.L., B.L.S. Maddux, J. Hutchison and R.L. Tanguay. 2007. Biodistribution and toxicity of nanomaterials in vivo: effects of composition, size, surface functionalization and route of exposure. Nanotech 2007 2: 666-669.
Harper, S.L., C. Usenko and R.L. Tanguay. 2006. Differential distribution and toxicity of nanomaterials in vivo. Proceedings of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) Annual Meeting San Francisco (USA) November 12-17, 2006.
Harper, S.L. and C.L Reiber. 2006. Cardiac development in crayfish: ontogeny of cardiac physiology and aerobic metabolism in the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 176: 405-414.
Harper, S.L. and C.L Reiber. 2006. Metabolic, respiratory and cardiovascular responses to acute and chronic hypoxic exposure in tadpole shrimp Triops longicaudatus. Journal of Experimental Biology 209: 1639-1650.
Rogers, K.R., S.L. Harper, G. Robertson. 2005. Screening for toxic industrial chemicals using semipermeable membrane devices with rapid toxicity assays. Analytica Chimica Acta 543: 229-235.
Book Reviews
Harper, S.L. Review of Nanotoxicology: Characterization, Dosing and Health Effects. Doody’s Review Service (on-line). Available: http//www.doody.com. (Accessed 1/07/08).
Editorials
Harper, S.L. 2008. The Complex Task of Defining Nanomaterial-Biological Interactions. SPIE Newsroom. DOI: 10.1117/2.1200901.1427
