Lisa Gölz
Contact:
Centre for Organismal Studies
Abteilung Tierphysiologie / Entwicklungsbiologie
Im Neuenheimer Feld 504
Tel: +49-(0)6221/54-6254
Fax:: +49-(0)6221/54-6162
e-Mail: l.goelz@stud.uni-heidelberg.de
Dissertation title:
Thyroid hormonal regulation of Danio rerio eye development
Short description:
The impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as pesticides, industrial materials, food additives, pharmaceuticals and personal care products on wildlife and humans has been recognized as a serious environmental and societal problem. EDCs produce adverse effects via a disruption of the organism’s endocrine (hormone) system, and they are suspected to be associated with altered reproductive function in humans and wildlife, disrupted growth and (neuro-) developmental delays in offspring, as well as changes in immune function. In the EU, criteria have been developed to identify pesticides, biocides and other chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties. As current testing tools do not always appropriately identify effects, new and improved approaches are urgently needed to better protect human and environmental health against the hazards of EDCs. The PhD thesis is part of the collaborative research projects ERGO and iFEDT and focuses on the effects of thyroid disrupting chemicals (TDCs) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) development. One of the multiple developmental processes regulated by thyroid hormones is eye development, a key factor for survival. The thesis elucidates specific effects of TDCs on eye development by applying a suite of molecular, physiological, and behavioural approaches.
