Early detection of toxicity of drugs is very important in drug development and also in environmental protection. In our lab we are developing in vivo and in vitro toxikological methods for the testing of pesticides. Our in vitro methods are based on our cell cultures. An example for an in vivo toxicity test is the chicken teratology model.

We also established an in vitro oxidative stress model on C2C12 cells and on chicken cardiomyocytes. The same cultures can be used for toxicity testing. Cell cultures in pharmacological and toxicological research Effect of caffeine

Differentiation of C2C12 cells

Chicken cardiomyocytes. A: 1 Day old B: 1 Week old C: 1 Month old culture

Effect of Hydrogene peroxide on  C2C12 cells

We are also developing in vivo toxicological tests, such as teratological investigations on chicken embrios or toxicological studies on zebrafish.

Frames (days 2,3,4,5) of a time-lapse video showing the shell-less development of a chicken embrio