Department of Pathology, Department of Radiation Oncology
Position: Research Associate (Postdoc)
ORCID: 0000-0002-7512-1398
T +43 1 40400-51750
verena.kopatz@meduniwien.ac.at
Keywords
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nanoparticles
Research interests
My current reaserch focus is evaluate the potential hazardous effect of micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) on human health. Using mouse in vivo models, we study the potential uptake of MNP into lymphatic- or blood vessels and subsequent biodistribution (and potential accumulation) to various organs. A main focus is to investigate the effects of chronic MNP burden on the gastrointestinal tract - either by direct physical force on, or accumulation in enterocytes, impact on the microbiome - and its potential contributing effect to colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression.
This research is part of a newly granted FFG financed project called "microONE", with multiple national and international academic and industrial research partners.
Techniques, methods & infrastructure
Mouse models (AOM/DSS and APCmin CRC models)
2D/3D cell culture (cell lines, primary cells, spheroid culture)
advanced organotypic in vitro cell culture models (artificial skin, multicellular organoids)
broad spectrum of biochemical, cell and molecular biological assays and imaging techniques (IHC, IF, FACS, Western Blot, PCR,...)
Selected publications
- Kopatz, V. and Selzer, E. (2020) ‘Quantitative and qualitative analysis of integrin subtype expression in melanocytes and melanoma cells’, Journal of Receptors and Signal Transduction, 40(3), pp. 237–245. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10799893.2020.1727923.
- Eggers, C. et al. (2020) ‘Localised multiple sclerosis-like disease after irradiation of the cervicothoracic spinal cord’, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 45, p. 102443. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2020.102443.