Member Institutions:

• Bowling Green State U.
• Cleveland State U.
• Kent State U.
• Medical College of Ohio
• Miami U.
• The Ohio State U.
• Ohio U.
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Toledo
• Wright State U.
• Youngstown State U.

Research Interests

Increasingly, harmful algal blooms (HAB's) are being reported worldwide due to several factors, primarily - eutrophication, climate change and more scientific investigation . HAB organisms include those causing: PSP (paralytic shellfish poisoning), DSP (diarrhetic shellfish poisoning), NSP (neurotoxic shellfish poisoning), ASP (amnesic shellfish poisoning) and CTP (cyanobacteria toxin poisoning). All but CTP organisms are mainly a marine occurrence. CTP's occur in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and reservoirs throughout the world.

Research in my laboratory is divided into two main areas concerning CTP events. The first area is the environmental toxicology of cyanobacteria toxins in municipal and recreational water supplies. This includes world-wide occurrence of toxic cyanobacteria, regulation of toxin production in nature and toxicology of toxic strains and isolated toxins. The second area concerns the application of biotechnological methods and approaches to the study of secondary metabolites. This includes algae culture, toxin production, isolation and characterization of toxins, their mechanism of action (including use as pharmacological tools) and regulation of toxin production at the cellular/molecular level.

Selected Publications

• Zimba, P.V., L. Khoo, P. Gaunt, W.W. Carmichael, and S. Brittain. 2001. Confirmation of Catfish Mortality from Microcystis toxins. J. Fish Dis. 24:41-47.
• Li, R.H, W.W. Carmichael, S. Brittain, G.K. Eaglesham, G.R. Shaw, A.M.N. Noparatnaraporn, W. Yongmanitchai, K. Kaya, and W. Makoto. 2001. Detection of Cylindrospermopsin from a strain of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Cyanobacteria) isolated from Thailand. Toxicon 39:973-980.
• Sipiä, V., H. Kankaanpää, K. Lahti, W.W. Carmichael, and J. Meriluoto. 2001. Detection of nodularin in flounders and cod from the Baltic Sea. Environmental Toxicol. 16(2):121-126.
• Park, H., M. Namikoshi, S.M. Brittain, W.W. Carmichael, and T. Murphy. 2001. [D-Leu1] microcystin-LR, a new microcystin isolated from waterbloom in a Canadian prairie lake. Toxicon. 39(6):855-862.
• Carmichael, W.W., C. Drapeau, and D.M. Anderson. 2000. Harvesting and quality control of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae from Klamath Lake for human dietary use. J. Applied Phycology. 12:585-595.
• Li, R., W.W. Carmichael, Y. Liu, and M.M. Watanabe. 2000. Taxonomic revaluation of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae NH-5 based upon morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Hydrobiologia. 438(1):99-105.
• Beasley, V.R., R.A. Loveall, K.R. Holmes, H.E. Walcott, D.J. Schaeffer, W.E. Hoffman and W. W. Carmichael. 2000. Microcystin-LR decreases hepatic and renal perfusion, and causes circulatory shock, severe hypoglycemia, and terminal hyperkalemia in intravascularly dosed swine. J. Toxicology & Envir. Health. Part A. 61(4):281-303.
• Brittain, S., J. Wang, L. Babcock-Jackson, W.W. Carmichael, K.L. Rinehart, and D.A. Culver. 2000. Isolation and characterization of microcystins, cyclic heptapeptide toxins from a Lake Erie strain of Microcystis aeruginosa. J. Great Lakes Res. 26(3):241-249.
• Brittain, S., Z.A. Mohamed, J. Wang, V.K.B. Lehman, W.W. Carmichael, K.L. Rinehart, and H.M. El-Sharouny. 2000. Isolation and characterization of microcystins from a Nile River strain of Oscillatoria tenuis Agardh ex Gomont. Toxicon 38:1759-1771.
• Shi, L., W.W. Carmichael, and P.J. Kennelly. 1999. Cyanobacterial PPP family protein phosphatases possess multifunctional capabilities and are resistant to microcystin-LR. J. Biological Chemistry. 274(15):10039-10046.
• Jochimsen, E.M., W.W. Carmichael, J.S. An, D.M. Cardo, S.T. Cookson, C.E.M. Holmes, M.B. de C. Antunes, D.A. de Melo, Filho, T.M. Lyra, V.S.T. Barreto, S.M.F.O. Azevedo, and W.R. Jarvis. 1998. Liver failure and death following exposure to microcystins at a hemodialysis center in Brazil. New Eng. J. Medicine. March 26. 338(13):873-878.
• Carmichael, W.W. 1997. The Cyanotoxins. In: Advances in Botanical Research. Academic Press, London. J.A. Callow, ed. 47:211-255.

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