Dr Sara Rydberg, PhD, Director of Studies in Plant Physiology

Dr Rydberg’s research focuses on source, function, and cumulative effects of the neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). BMAA is produced by cyanobacteria, diatom and dinoflagellate and suggested to be an environmental agent that cause neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The methodology used in her lab is foremost liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based metabolomics.

Keywords: β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), phytoplankton, bioaccumulation, neurotoxin

Themes: 3 and 4

Seayong Kim, Phd Student

Seayong Kim is a PhD student in Dr Rydberg’s team. His PhD project is mainly focused on function and regulation of the neurotoxin BMAA in diatoms. The methodology that he is using is targeted and untargeted LC-MS based metabolomics.

Keywords: β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), phytoplankton, bioaccumulation, neurotoxin