Helene Vraalstad, Master's student. Contact: helene.vraalstad@ntnu.no

Supervisors: Daniela Sueldo, Mara Martin Alonso, Veerle Jaspers

In my Master’s project, I am investigating the effects of plant-accumulated PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals”) on gut health using mouse small intestinal organoids. As PFAS can be taken up and accumulate in plants, plant-based diets provide a possible route of exposure of these chemicals to humans, and the digestive tract is the first part of the body to meet these chemicals. Some PFAS are found to be biotransformed by plants, forming new metabolites. For many PFAS, however, it is not known whether this biotransformation happens, and the potential biotransformation products are therefore also unknown. In relation to this, I will use Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate the possible biotransformation of PFOS and F-53B, as well as their effect on the gut by exposing small intestinal organoids to these plant-accumulated PFAS. In the image you can see an example of the organoids I work with.