Bernardo Brito Palma obtained his PhD degree from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, performing research on a collaborative project between the Xenobiotic Metabolism group of ToxOmics (head Michel Kranendonk), part of the Genetics, Oncology and Human Toxicology area (head José Rueff), both of the NMS|FCM, UNL and the Molecular Toxicology group (head Nico Vermeulen) of the Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
During his PhD research, Bernardo developed a new type of toxicity assay by which the genotoxicity of chemicals, an effect which may cause accelerated aging and cancer, can be determined.
Innovation of his research not only lead to an assay by which results are obtained in a very fast and efficient manner (high through-put), but also the incorporation of one of the most important human enzymes, namely cytochrome P450s, which to a large extent determine the genotoxic effect of chemicals.
Application of this new assay allowed the identification of the role of genetic variants, present in the human population, of an important P450 form in the genotoxic hazard of several classes of chemicals. Based on these results, important clues were obtained on the molecular functioning of this P450 enzyme.
(from left to right: Prof. Ivonne Rietje, Prof. Nico Vermeulen, Prof. Iwan de Esch, Prof. Jóse Rueff, Dr. Bernardo Brito Palma, Dr. Michel Kranendonk, Dr. Paul Jennings, Dr. Barbara van Vugt-Lussenburg, Prof. Pim Leonards and Dr. Ron vander Oost)
For further information visit: http://www.aimms.vu.nl/en/news-events/events/2017/okt-dec/16okt-b-espadinha-de-brito-palma.aspx