Tetrodotoxin (tetrodotoxin) is a potent neurotoxin, which shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. It was originally discovered in puffer fish but is found in a range of animal species and thought to be produced by bacteria. The toxin can be lethal to humans being 10 000 times more potent than cyanide. Human fatalities have been attributed to the ingestion of this toxin through consumption of puffer fish, a delicacy in Japan and other regions, and other marine species. The effects of tetrodotoxin poisoning onset quickly and include shortness of breath, numbness, tingling, light-headedness, paralysis, and irregular heartbeat. Treatment usually consists of respiratory assistance as no antidote has been developed. The accepted method of analysis for tetrodotoxin is the mouse bioassay, although recently more ethical assays have been developed including high performance liquid chromatography, biosensor and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay.
Katrina Campbell is a senior research fellow in Biotoxins within the Institute of Agri Food and Land Use (IAFLU), School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast (QUB). She has a BSc (Hons) in biochemistry, MMedSc in ultrastructural anatomy and pathology, and a PhD in pharmacy. Dr Campbell has more than ten years of experience as a university postdoctoral fellow within the Food Safety Group in IAFLU. Her research has focused primarily on the method development for biotoxin analysis in food and environmental samples using immunological-based methods and is funded through her participation in EU FP6 and FP7 projects, BioCop, Confidence, and Midtal. The immunological-based methods include lateral flow devices, ELISA, and novel sensor-based technologies for marine, plant, and fungal toxins. She is also involved in the single laboratory validation of these methods and in the organization and participation of interlaboratory trials.
Dr Simon Haughey is a senior research fellow and project manager within the Institute of Agri Food and Land Use (IAFLU)/ASSET Centre at the Queen's University Belfast (QUB). He has a BSc (Hons) in pure and applied chemistry and a PhD in organic chemistry. Dr Haughey is a member of The Royal Society of Chemistry through which he has attained Chartered Chemist status. He has more than 6 years of experience as a university postdoctoral fellow within (1) School of Chemistry, (2) School of Veterinary Science, and (3) School of Biological Science at QUB. Dr Haughey has also spent more than 8 years as a senior research scientist in industry as part of the Biacore Food Business through XenoSense Ltd., where his activities included research, product development, and manufacturing of in vitro diagnostic kits for use on Biacore technology. He has worked on shellfish toxin assays through participation in EU FP6 projects, BioCop, and Detectox. His involvement included the development of novel surface chemistries, validation of assays, production of prototype kits, and participation in an international interlaboratory study for the analysis of shellfish for toxins.
