Optimised Pre-Analytical Methods Improve KRAS Mutation Detection in Circulating Tumour DNA (ctDNA) from Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

Introduction: Non-invasive mutation testing using circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is an attractive premise. This could enable patients without available tumour sample to access more treatment options.

Materials & Methods: Peripheral blood and matched tumours were analysed from 45 NSCLC patients.

The use of a Corophium volutator chronic sediment study to support the risk assessment of medetomidine for marine environments.

Chronic sediment studies were conducted using the marine amphipod Corophium volutator as part of an environmental risk assessment of the novel antifouling compound medetomidine. Two studies were performed, starting with neonates of less than 7 d old. A 28-d study considered endpoints of survival and growth (length and wet wt) and a 76-d study looked at survival, growth (length and wet wt), and reproduction (number of gravid females and neonates).

Differences in sexual development in inbred and outbred zebrafish (Danio rerio) and implications for chemical testing.

Outbred laboratory animal strains used in ecotoxicology are intended to represent wild populations. However, breeding history may vary considerably between strains, driving differences in genetic variation and phenotypes used for assessing effects of chemical exposure. We compared a range of phenotypic endpoints in zebrafish from four different "breeding treatments" comprising a Wild Indian Karyotype (WIK) zebrafish strain and a WIK/Wild strain with three levels of inbreeding (F(IT)=n, n+0.

Are toxicological responses in laboratory (inbred) zebrafish representative of those in outbred (wild) populations? - A case study with an endocrine disrupting chemical.

Laboratory animals tend to be more inbred and less genetically diverse than wild populations, and thus may differ in their susceptibility to chemical stressors. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the responses of related inbred (theoretical inbreeding F(IT) = n + 0.25) and outbred (F(IT) = n) zebrafish (Danio rerio) WIK/Wild family lines to an endocrine disrupting chemical, clotrimazole.

Photo-induced environmental depletion processes of beta-blockers in river waters.

In order to improve the understanding of the fate and behaviour of pharmaceuticals in the environment there is a need to investigate in-stream depletion mechanisms, e.g. phototransformation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in natural surface waters.