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Development of a Human Brain Tissue Model to Quantify Pollutant Toxicity

CSEF · 2026 Environmental Engineering (Senior Division)

Steven Chen

Overview

Persistent organic pollutants are accumulating in humans due to their non-biodegradable nature and have been linked to severe diseases such as impaired neurological development. I fabricated a novel human brain tissue model to quantify toxicity for three representative pollutants: chlorpyrifos (CPF), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). To form the brain tissue model, I embedded neuron progenitor cells in a hydrogel. Both young and aged brain tissue models were developed by changing hydrogel stiffness and cell passage. The quantified results show the cell viability was reduced to 40% after 3 days and 9% after 5 days when exposed to 500 ug/L of CPF. qPCR analysis shows an upregulation of BACE1, an indication of early development of Alzheimer’s Disease. These engineered human brain tissue models enable the quantification of neurotoxicity induced by environmental pollutants and are valuable assets to better understand their impact on human health and to develop effective interventions.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Environmental Engineering (Senior Division) · Entry S-11-25

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