Tox21 HT testing is focused on detecting chemically-induced perturbations of biological pathways that could potentially initiate cascades of physiological events that ultimately lead to adverse health effects. The NIH National Human Genome Research Institute defines a biological pathway as "the series of actions among molecules in a cell that leads to a certain product or a change in a cell." Many biological pathways are responsible for proper execution of our many bodily functions, from digesting food to regulating our reproductive cycles. HT testing is intended to assess the extent to which chemicals may disrupt or perturb the normal function of any number of biological pathways that are critical for maintaining proper health.
EPA’s own contribution to the Tox21 high-throughput testing and screening effort is housed within what it calls its ToxCast program. Through Tox21, member agencies are working to advance their collective ability to better screen chemical compounds for safety. It is one of several agencies, like the NIH NCGC, that make up a collaborative interagency effort called Tox21. The robot is scheduled to test 10,000 chemicals for potential toxicity! So, what does that actually mean?ĮPA has focused significant attention on developing methods that allow for more rapid HT testing and screening of chemicals.
I highly recommend watching the robot in action by clicking on the "Toxicity Testing Robot System" video link available on the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute’s website. Just last week, EPA issued a public statement describing the unveiling of a new robot housed at the National Institutes of Health Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC). There has been a lot of buzz around what is called high-throughput (HT) testing of chemicals. NexGen is focusing on how new scientific knowledge and technological capabilities may interplay with traditional hazard and risk assessment that predominantly relies on more expensive and time-consuming animal studies. In this post, I’ll explore some of the potential power of EPA’s efforts, which will require that we get a bit into the nitty gritty (nerd spoiler alert!). In my last post (on the Environmental Defense Fund's Chemicals and Nanomaterials blog), I introduced EPA’s collaborative NexGen effort and briefly described the scientific advances underpinning the program.
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