Research studies toxins found in newts
Undergraduate research of toxicity levels in rough-skin newts offers students the opportunity for unique discoveries and hands-on experience.
“Undergraduate research gives you an opportunity the classroom never will,” Brian Cardall, a junior majoring in biology, said.
With this opportunity, Cardall said he is working on a research project studying the toxicity level of tetrodotoxin in the secretions and glands of rough-skin newts- small aquatic animals similar to salamanders.
“It’s a defense mechanism used against natural predators to aid in [the newts’] protection,” said E.D. Brodie, biology department head and faculty adviser to the project.
It’s important to find out how rapidly the toxin generates, Brodie said, because when newts are living in the same environment as one of their main enemies, the garter snake, in order for the snake to eat the newt, they have to build up a resistance to the toxin.
“This puts selective pressure on the newts to create greater levels of the toxin,” he said.
The study is trying to find out how rapidly the tetrodotoxin generates, he said.
Cardall said, “Just one gram of [the newt’s] skin can kill several humans.”
However, Brodie said, “It’s guess work and it’s never been tested on humans.”
There have been two cases where fishermen drank or swallowed a newt by accident and died, Brodie said.
“They’re cute little guys and they look defenseless, but you don’t want to mess with them,” he said.
The same toxin is also found in a Japanese Puffer Fish, he said.
In Japan, the people eat this fish as a delicacy soup, which contains the toxin and gives them
a mild intoxication effect if prepared right, Brodie said.
“That’s why they are quite interested in [the toxin] in Japan,” he said.
Two years ago, Charles Hanifin, a doctoral student studying the toxin , was sent to Japan to further research and measure the amounts of tetrodotoxin in the Puffer Fish, he said.
“But the end is not in sight,” Brodie said.
Cardall said with this research, “It seems as if any question leads to the next.”
He said he became involved in the project after volunteering in the biology lab and becoming interested in Brodie’s work.
Brodie said, “I’ve been working on this project for 40 years.”
This project is distinctive, he said.
“The nature of research is you want to be doing something unique,” he said. “What Brian finds, we will be the only people in the world that know it until it’s published.”
This is what drives scientists, he said.
It’s the ultimate thing teaching is to be able to work with students in their discoveries, he said.
The research of toxicity levels in rough-skin newts is being funded by the National Science Foundation and the University Research Creative Opportunity Grant, Brodie said, and part of it is funded by an undergraduate grant.