Out of around 350,000 chemicals and chemical mixtures registered under Chemical Abstract Services, less than 35 per cent of chemicals have been evaluated for their toxicity. Second-year Master of Environmental and Social Change (MESC) student, Chathuri Mudalige, is working to change that.
In March of this year, Mudalige was awarded the prestigious Deb Tardiff Scholarship from Manitoba Environmental Industries Association (MEIA) in recognition of her academic standing, volunteer experience, and contributions to environmental sciences.
"I am sincerely grateful for this acknowledgment, and remain dedicated to making a positive impact in the field," she said. "I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Jean-Pierre Desforges, for his invaluable guidance and support throughout my journey."
Mudalige's research, through UWinnipeg's Desforges Lab, will increase the speed and accuracy of chemical testing of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which can cause adverse health effects in humans and wildlife.
"Traditionally chemical toxicity has been tested using animal studies," Mudalige said. "This approach is ethically challenging and it's taking a longer period of time. Like, let's say, three to four years to see a change in the animal, and also another four years to do a comprehensive chemical assessment."
"This prolonged process is the main cause for the current backlog of chemical toxicity testing," she added.
Instead of testing on animals, Mudalige's research uses New Approach Methodologies (NAM), which allows her to assess a large number of chemicals in just a few months.
"With NAMs, chemicals are being tested by growing human cells in the laboratory, which is called in vitro experiments," she said. "Then we are analyzing how chemicals can cause changes at the genetic level, specifically changes in gene expression."
This modern approach to chemical testing can help determine safe levels for chemicals in humans and in the environment, particularly in delicate Arctic ecosystems.
"So many of the chemicals have different impacts on health and as well as wildlife," Mudalige said. "These findings have a potential to drive real-world impacts. This could create a positive change towards animal-free toxicity testing. Also, this could be implemented as a chemical management strategy, where we can have pre-market screening before a new chemical is released into the market."
Funding boost
Thanks to $19,000 from the University of Winnipeg Foundation's (UWF) Venture Fund Group, Mudalige will now be able to analyze a larger number of chemicals more efficiently to determine their effect on biological pathways.
"Getting the funding from Venture Fund Group was inspiring," Mudalige said. "I was able to use that funding to expand my research to apply RNA sequencing for my project, which is a very effective method to study how chemicals affect gene expression, and understand their potential impacts on health and the environment."
Like in the television show, Dragon's Den, Mudalige had to pitch her research project to a panel of investors who have connections to UWinnipeg for a chance to receive funding. Funds were then matched by UWF.
"Ultimately, I was awarded the highest funding amount among all the presenters, which is really useful for my project because RNA sequencing is still very expensive," she said.
Along with her chemical toxicity research at Desforges Lab, Mudalige works as a lab instructor for the Chemistry Department. She is also a grad student ambassador for the Faculty of Graduate Studies and a member of Master of Environmental Science (MESC) student society.
She was awarded the Graduate Student Research Award, University of Winnipeg Graduate Studies Scholarship, a MITACS Accelerate Grant, and additional funding through the MESC program. She also received RNA library preparation training at the Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory at McGill University in Montreal.
"I believe my journey serves as an example for future students to understand the exceptional research support and opportunities available at UWinnipeg," she said. "These achievements have been incredibly rewarding and have greatly enhanced my experience as a graduate student at UWinnipeg."
The UWF will be hosting the second Venture Fund Group session in Fall 2025 where UWinnipeg students and faculty can pitch their ideas for another chance for funding.
