Determining the Effects of Allergens and Air Pollution on Mice

Student Name: Kelsey Green

UCD Department: Center for Health and the Environment

UCD Mentor: Dr. Kent Pinkerton

Studying the effects of allergens and pollution on mice. Since asthma is actually the body attacking itself through an immune response of antibodies to allergens, Kelsy will be able to dose mice with allergens and pollution to see their effects on the lungs. She will look at slides of exposed mice lungs with a microscope, analyze mice for indications of inflammation, and analyze a specific protein using immunohistochemistry to determine the damaging effects of air pollution in the lungs and how this may exacerbate allergic asthma. The results will be to see how these two factors of allergens and particulate matter affect those with asthma and the mechanism of asthma.