Research:
- Graduate Research with Dr. Fawzia Abdel Rahman August 2015- current Department of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences
Texas Southern University College of Science, Engineering and Technology
The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a proven model organism for lipid metabolism research. C. elegans studies showed that chronic exposure to mercury (Hg) compounds induces neuron degeneration likely due to the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element required for activation of many antioxidant enzymes that makes it capable of both decreasing deposition of Hg during co-exposure possibly due to the high affinity between Hg and Se and reducing the ROS level by activating antioxidant enzymes. This study focused on investigating Se protection effect mainly in the presence of Phenylmercury Acetate (PMA), and the use of C. elegans lipid profiling changes as a biomarker for environmental pollutants exposure. Chronic exposure to different concentrations of PMA results in animal death, which is reduced by co- exposure with Se. Results showed that exposure to PMA increases ROS levels in the nematodes in a concentration-depended manner. Also, Se exposure showed a positive relationship between ROS level and elevated Se concentration; while co-exposure to PMA and Se reduced the ROS level in the exposed C. elegans. The wild type C. elegans was used to investigate the effect of selenium on the lipid profile induced by exposure to the environmental pollutant Phenylmercury Acetate (PMA). Individual fatty acids showed differences in their relative percentage in treatment with PMA versus control and these differences were recovered in the presence of selenium. Based on quantitative analysis of the normalized fatty acids composition, it was found that polyunsaturated fatty acids were the most susceptible to change in the tested chemical. Triacylglycerols (triglycerides) profile changed due to the exposure by showing smaller or sometimes larger percentages in PMA treatment compared to the control. It was evident that the antioxidant Se was able to counteract the PMA effect and bring the triacylglycerols' profiling back to normal. The results provided evidence that lipid profiling can serve as a biomarker for exposure to environmental stressors.
- Graduate Research with Dr. Richard Nass, August 2012 – December 2014 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Recent Caenorhabditis elegans studies showed that low, chronic exposure to MeHg induces DA neuron degeneration likely due to the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the reduction of SKN-1/Nrf2 gene expression or reduction of MRP-7 gene expression. Reduction in the transcription factor SKN-1 gene expression increases MeHg-induced animal vulnerability and DA neuron degeneration; additionally, reduction in the putative multidrug resistance protein MRP-7 gene expression increases the accumulation of cellular mercury (Hg) and MeHg-induces DA neuron degeneration. Accordingly, Se is capable of both decreasing deposition of Hg in neurons possibly due to the high affinity between Hg and Se that results in Hg binding to Se, and inhibiting MeHg-induced DA neuron degeneration and mitigating MeHg's neurotoxicity. My studies demonstrate that Se significantly blunted MeHg's effects and proved its safety and efficacy in ameliorating MeHg's neurotoxicity.
Publication:
- Published co-author of Fatty acids composition of Caenorhabditis elegans using accurate mass GCMS-QTOF in 2016 issue of the Journal of JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH, PART B 2016, VOL. 0, NO. 0, 1–7
- Published co-author of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to study the impact of exposure to light emitting diode (LED) domestic lighting in 2017 issue of the Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A Toxic/Hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering 52(5):1-7 · January 2017.
conference proceedings:
- Sakha Jamadar, VanDuyn N, Nass R. “Generation and characterization of a humanized C. elegans transgenic animal that results in early onset, age-dependent complete loss of DA neurons”. Society of Toxicology 52nd annual meeting 2013 San Antonio, TX, 2013.
- Attendance of Society of Toxicology 53rd annual meeting March 23-27, 2014, Phoenix, AZ.
- Attendance of Society of Toxicology 54rd annual meeting March 22-26, 2015, San Diego, CA.
- Sakha Jamadar and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman. “Characterization of The Effects of Selenium on The Lipid Profiling Induced by Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure in Caenorhabditis Elegams”. Texas Southern University Research Week, March 28- 31, 2016, Houston. TX.
- Sakha Jamadar and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman. “Characterization of The Effects of Selenium on The Lipid Profiling Induced by Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure in Caenorhabditis Elegams”. SETAC South-Central Regional Meeting April 23, 2016, Fort Worth, TX.
- Sakha Jamadar and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman. “Characterization of The Effects of Selenium on The Fatty Acid Profiling Induced by Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure in Caenorhabditis Elegams”. Southeast Texas Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics (STEGG) symposium June 3, 2016, Houston, TX.
- Sakha Jamadar, and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman, Mahmoud Saleh. “Characterization of The Effects of Selenium on The Oxidative Damage Induced by Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure in Caenorhabditis Elegams”. 7th SETAC World congress/ SETAC North America 37th Annual Meeting November 6-10, 2016, Orlando, FL.
- Sakha Jamadar, Kevin Anthony, Duma Hlangothi and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman. “Characterization of the Effects of Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure on the Lipid Profiling of Caenorhabditis Elegans”. Society of Toxicology 56th annual meeting, March 12-16, 2017, Baltimore, MD 2017.
- Sakha Jamadar, Kevin Anthony, Duma Hlangothi and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman “Lipid Profiling of the Free-Living Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans as a Biomarker of Exposure to Organomercury Compounds”. Texas Southern University Research Week, March 27-31, 2017, Houston, TX.
- Sakha Jamadar and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman, Mahmoud Saleh. “Selenium
Counteracting the Effects of Mercury Induced Lipid Profiling in the Free Living Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans”. SETAC South-Central Regional Chapter Meeting, April 28- 30, 2017 at Texas Southern University, Houston, TX. - Sakha Jamadar, Fawzia H. Abdel-Rhman, Demilade Adisa, Olufunmilayo Owopetu, Parise S. Henry, Kevin Anthony, Thao Nguyen, Bobby L. Wilson, Mahmoud A. Saleh “Fatty Acids Profiling as a Biomarker of Exposure to Pesticides”. 255th ACS National Meeting, March 18-22, 2018 at New Orleans, LA.
- Sakha Jamadar, Kevin Anthony, Duma Hlangothi and Fawzia Abdel-Rahman “Characterization of the effects of Selenium and Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure on the Lipid Profiling of the Free-Living Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans” Texas Southern University Research Week, March 26-29, 2018 at Houston, TX.
Abstracts:
- Sakha Jamadar, F. Abdel-Rahman and M. Saleh, (2015) Characterization of The Effects of Selenium on The Lipid Profiling Induced by Phenyl Mercuric Acetate Exposure in Caenorhabditis Elegams.
- Sakha Jamadar, VanDuyn N, Nass R. Generation and Characterization of a Humanized C. elegans Transgenic Animal that Results in Early Onset, Age- Dependent Complete Loss of DA Neurons.
- Nass, R., Settivari, R., Sakha Jamadar, VanDuyn, N (2013) The C. elegans Glutathione Transferase GST-1 and Caspase CSP-1 Modulates Rotenone-Induced DA Neuron Degeneration.
- VanDuyn, N., Sakha Jamadar, Li,W., Wagner, M., Nass, R (2013) Identification of Molecular Modifiers of Se-associated DA Neurodegeneration and Protection.
Seminars conducted in Texas Southern University:
From 2015 to 2018:
1. Metabolism and Toxicity of Benzene
2. Metabolism and Toxicity of Tetrahydrocannabinol
3. Metabolism and Toxicity of Warfarin
4. Metabolism and Toxicity of Methadone
5. Metabolism and Toxicity of Nicotine
6. Metabolism and Toxicity of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
7. Characterization of the effects of selenium on methylmercury-induced toxicity in C. elegans (ETOX Seminar series)
Funding and Awards:
- Saudi Arabian Higher Ministry Scholarship (2011-2019)
- Graduate Fellowship Title III program from Texas Southern University (11/2015-10/2018)
- College Of Science, Engineering and Technology Faculty and Staff Scholarship (Fall 2016)
- College Of Science, Engineering and Technology Scholarship (Fall 2017)
- Teaching Assistant at the Department of Biology (2016-2019)
- Texas Southern University Award for Attending Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting (2017)
- Air & Waste Management Association Graduate Environmental Science and Engineering Scholarship (2017)
Professional Organizations:
- Society Of Toxicology graduate student membership (SOT)
- TSU Student Chapter of Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
- Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Volunteer Participation:
Certificate of Participation in the volunteer homeless program for 27+ hours Father Joe's Villages, San Diego,CA
May 2011 – March 2012
