Project Code
MRCIIAR26Ex Ball
Project Type
Wet lab
Research Theme
Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair
Project Summary Download
Summary
Environmental microplastics are a human health concern. Ingestion/inhalation have been thought to be the predominant routes into the human body, but do medicinal products provide a third route via direct injection? In 2025 IV bags were shown to shed microplastics internally and therefore are they and other medicinal products a direct source of human microplastics contamination and adverse drug interaction? The student will investigate distribution, host immune and innate interaction with medicinal microplastics and simultaneous drug exposure. Using high content imaging systems, focusing on development and musculoskeletal systems in zebrafish to determine if medical microplastics are an unrecognised health hazard.
Lead Supervisor
Dr Jonathan Ball
Lead Supervisor Email
University Affiliation
Exeter