KPU biologist discovers new ways to test products on roundworms

Worms, not mice? A Kwantlen Polytechnic University biologist has a new strategy to test pharmaceutical and agricultural products.

At KPU’s Applied Genomics Centre, biology instructor and researcher Kelsie Doering is developing the use of roundworms instead of rodents to test toxicity.

The worms, known as Caenorhabditis elegans or C. elegans, are microscopic nematode worms which are non-toxic and non-infectious, making them suitable for testing.

“What’s great about C. elegans is that about 70 per cent of human genes are evolutionarily conserved in the worms,” Doering says. “A lot of the genetic components that you find out from these toxicity tests in C. elegans can actually be directly applied to human biology.”

She adds it’s less expensive and time-consuming than testing on animals, and provides a more ethical way to evaluate new products like medicine and fertilizer.

The research is funded by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Genome BC, who also fund the centre.

“Being a researcher at KPU, you have to think about how this is going to impact and include our students,” Doering says. “That’s our big thing — how can we involve our students in this research?”

Jasleen Randhawa is a student researcher at the Applied Genomics Centre who works with Doering. She has been working on the toxicity testing project for more than two years.

“I got the opportunity to do the literature research [on the toxicity project] and find out more information [on C. elegans],” Randhawa says.

Through her research process of experimentation and reviewing data, she discovered that C. elegans are better able to adapt to toxic chemicals when they’re younger.

Randhawa says understanding C. elegans, brainstorming solutions, and presenting their research in various centres through Doering’s supervision was eye-opening.

“[Doering] is honestly amazing…. She doesn’t just read off the slides and lecture you. She’s talking with you. She opens discussions, and she’s like that in our lab too,” she says.

“It’s a really great experience. I highly recommend people to step out of their comfort zone and connect with all the professors.”