Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012MD285B

Multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) induction in amphipods (Hyalella azteca) by agricultural ditch sediment and water (Graduate Fellowship)

Institute: Maryland
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $6,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,240

Principal Investigators: Kaye Brubaker, William Lamp

Project Summary: Pesticides are common in agriculture and may enter aquatic systems from surrounding crop fields. This study will determine the effect of contaminated sediment and water from agricultural ditches on the multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) response in a model amphipod species. Sediment and water will be used to induce MXR and the production of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which transports exogenous toxins out of cells. The response will be visualized using rhodamine B (RB) dye and a spectrophotometer. A lower concentration of P-gp in exposed amphipods compared to control amphipods is expected in response to certain contaminants in the sediment and water. This bioassay based on the MXR response would serve as an indicator that certain field-applied pesticides are entering the surrounding aquatic environments.