“Exploring the impact of chronic low dose domoic acid exposure on brain development and cognitive functions in 3D brain organoids”

Dowlette Alam El Din, a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins University, has received IFER funding from 2023-2025 for her project, “Exploring the impact of chronic low dose domoic acid exposure on brain development and cognitive functions in 3D brain organoids.” Domoic Acid (DA) is a neurotoxin produced by algae blooms that can contaminate shellfish and lead to cellular and structural brain damage in exposed humans. Its presence in coastal areas has become more frequent due to climate change causing an increase in the number of harmful algae blooms. Most studies investigating the role of DA in cognitive impairment have been conducted in animal models, but they do not provide a biologically relevant model for human cognitive development. The goal of Dowlette’s project is to develop a cognition-in-a-dish model using human brain organoids to investigate the effects of chronic low-dose DA exposure on neurodevelopmental events, functional neural network formation, and cognitive functions. Identification of the pathways through which DA disrupts cognitive function will impact human health and safety by informing regulatory guidelines for exposure.