{"id":4,"date":"2014-07-03T16:11:13","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T16:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/?page_id=4"},"modified":"2026-04-14T17:46:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:46:33","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1368\" style=\"width:328px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2024\/01\/In-this-lab-we-believe-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<h3>what we do<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">At our secret headquarters in room A304 of the Levine Science Research Center on the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina, we use the nematode\u00a0<em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em>, a versatile model organism, as well as cells in culture in experiments aimed at improving environmental health. Our efforts range from studying the effects of environmental stressors at the molecular and cellular level to effects on the organism as a whole. We have a special interest in mitochondria, and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA damage. By collaborating with other researchers, we also study environmental health in people, other model organisms, and ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p>If you are unfamiliar with environmental toxicology, mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA, or <em>C. elegans<\/em> (&#8220;worms&#8221;) and would like a short introduction, click the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/environmental-toxicology\/\">Environmental Toxicology<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/mitochondria-and-mitochondrial-dna\/\">Mitochondria and Mitochondrial DNA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/caenorhabditis-elegans\/\"><em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>why we do it<\/h3>\n<p data-wp-editing=\"1\">Science is really fascinating and fun. But there is another reason. Pollution is a major health problem, especially in parts of the world with less environmental protection. It is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/pb-assets\/Lancet\/stories\/commissions\/pollution-2017\/Pollution_and_Health_Infographic.pdf\">responsible for at least 9 million premature deaths per year<\/a>, more than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Most of this results from chronic disease, which will increase as the world&#8217;s population lives longer. Such diseases (cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, etc.) are also influenced by genetics, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/27105432\">genetics alone explains only 15-30% of most chronic diseases<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>how we do it<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1429\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1429\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1429 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1-300x295.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1-300x295.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1-1024x1007.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1-768x755.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1-1536x1511.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/06\/lab-fotos-for-website-2-1-2048x2014.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1429\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Missing in top picture: Safiatou Zibo, Reyna Cardoza, and Akshaya Mohan. Bottom: annual cidering!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Check out the new open-access, 100% free-to-publish journal <a href=\"https:\/\/janeway.uncpress.org\/ARC-EHA\/\">Environmental Health Advances<\/a>.<\/strong> Thanks to Rebecca Fry and others, and UNC Press, for supporting this. Please consider submitting.<\/p>\n<p>We have joined forces with other Duke ecoteams to battle eco-evil:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicholas.duke.edu\/\">The Nicholas School of the Environment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/superfund\/\">Duke University Superfund Research Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/envhealth\/\">The Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program (ITEHP)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/globalhealth.duke.edu\/\">The Duke Global Health Institute<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ceint.duke.edu\/\">Civil and Environmental Engineering<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Including regional groups:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gems-nc.org\">Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis Society<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csetac.org\/\">Carolinas Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.toxicology.org\/groups\/rc\/nc\/index.asp\">North Carolina Society of Toxicology<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Triangle Mito Club (email Dillon King at NIEHS for details)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We value civil discourse, academic freedom, and inclusion. <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2025\/07\/Civil-Discourse-Working-Document.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Here<\/a> is a working document on these topics.<\/p>\n<h3>publications<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Here are some recent publications from our band of green crimefighters. For a full list, please go to Dr. Meyer&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=kmfjjGEAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao\">Google Scholar profile<\/a> (best option; automatically updated except those pesky BioRxiv preprints, which linger on as such), his NCBI Bibliography (https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/myncbi\/joel.meyer.1\/bibliography\/public\/ ; includes publications that aren&#8217;t really his but are automatically associated with him because he directs a training grant), or his CV at his<a href=\"https:\/\/nicholas.duke.edu\/people\/faculty\/meyer\"> NSOE site<\/a> (updated roughly annually).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41925161\/\"><em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em> fed native gut microbiota have altered bioenergetic pathway utilization impacting mitochondrial function and susceptibility to pollutants<\/a>. Environmental Science: Processes &amp; Impacts 2026.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41802942\/\">How can academic researchers more effectively contribute to environmental health efforts for regulatory decisions, policymakers, nonprofits, and communities?<\/a> Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews 2026.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/files\/2026\/04\/King-2026-mtDNA-chapter.pdf\">Causes and consequences of perturbations of the mitochondrial genome<\/a>. Comprehensive Toxicology, 4th edition. 2026.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/elifesciences.org\/articles\/108862\">UV irradiation alters TFAM binding specificity and compaction of DNA<\/a>. eLife 2026.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40302409\/\">Assessment of developmental neurotoxicology-associated alterations in neuronal architecture and function using <em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em><\/a>. ALTEX \u2013 Alternatives to Animal Experimentation 2025<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/39952197\/\">Complex I superoxide anion production is necessary and sufficient for Complex I inhibitor-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em><\/a>. Redox Biology 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37910447\/\">Bioenergetic function is decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of veterans with Gulf War Illness<\/a>. PLOS ONE 2023.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/nar\/advance-article-abstract\/doi\/10.1093\/nar\/gkac666\/6659855\">Resistance of mitochondrial DNA to cadmium and Aflatoxin B<sub>1<\/sub> damage-induced germline mutation accumulation in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em><\/a>. Nucleic Acids Research 2022.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2666027X22000214?via%3Dihub\">Mild pentachlorophenol-mediated uncoupling of mitochondria depletes ATP but does not cause an oxidized redox state or dopaminergic neurodegeneration in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em><\/a>. Current Research in Toxicology 2022.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"title-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2213231721001580\">Early-life mitochondrial DNA damage results in lifelong deficits in energy production mediated by redox signaling in <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2213231721001580\">Caenorhabditis elegans<\/a>.<\/em> Redox Biology 2021.<em><br \/><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/10937404.2021.1884921\">Xenobiotic metabolism and transport in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans<\/em><\/a>. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B 2021.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>helpful resources<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/helpful-resources\/\">This page contains a variety of resources<\/a>, intended especially for members of my own lab but also potentially useful to other scientists or people interested in science.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"contact-us\">contact us<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Feel free to <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/contact-us\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"14\">contact us<\/a> by the traditional means (or you can always just light the Worm Beacon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>what we do At our secret headquarters in room A304 of the Levine Science Research Center on the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina, we use the nematode\u00a0Caenorhabditis elegans, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4","page","type-page","status-publish","czr-hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4"}],"version-history":[{"count":157,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1537,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4\/revisions\/1537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nicholas.duke.edu\/meyer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}