Toxicogenomic studies of an epidermal cell line from the common bottlenose dolphin

Remotely collected skin and blubber biopsies have been widely used to assess persistent organic pollutant concentrations in cetacean blubber to establish exposure. However, determining the effects of such exposure from the same remote biopsy sample is difficult. This project will use toxicogenomic methods to establish genes and pathways responsive to various contaminant classes in a dolphin epidermal cell line. The signatures identified in this study will be incorporated into the analysis of remote biopsies to assess exposure and effects of contaminants in cetaceans.