Citation:

Demarini, D. Environmental Mutagenesis: A 50-Year Legacy of Protecting Our Genome and Our Environment. Brazilian Environmental Mutagen Society, Bento Goncalves, Rio Grande Do Sul, BRAZIL, June 03 - 06, 2019.

Impact/Purpose:

This is an invited talk on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS). In this regard, mutagenesis research has been conducted at the U.S. EPA for 40 years and has played a key role in providing the mechanistic information to permit the Agency and IARC to evaluate indoor air, outdoor air, arsenic, and diesel exhaust, and various other agents as human carcinogens. The EMGS has played a central role in promoting the development of methods and exchange of ideas to enhance this area of research, which has been vital to the mission of the U.S. EPA.

Description:

Just four months before astronauts were launched to the moon, a mutagenesis moonshot was launched to address the integrity of our genome relative to our environment. The impetus for this included the discovery that X-rays (Herman Muller, 1927) and chemicals (starting with Charlotte Auerbach in 1942) were germ-cell mutagens in Drosophila and the introduction of thousands of untested chemicals into the environment after World War II. As evidence accumulated that some of the newly introduced chemicals and drugs were mutagenic, scientists from around the world began voicing their concern that environmental mutagens may damage not only the environment but the human germline. Such voices included Joshua Lederberg (U.S., 1955), Alfred Barthelmess (Germany, 1956), Charlotte Auerbach (Scotland, 1960), Fritz Sobels (Netherlands, 1962), James Crow (U.S. 1966), and Rachel Carson (U.S., 1962) in her book “Silent Spring.” In 1969 Alexander Hollaender at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and colleagues acted on these concerns by founding the Environmental Mutagen Society, now the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS); Fritz Sobels founded the European EMS in 1970. A succession of countries and regions also began establishing such societies, including the formation of ALAMCTA by Cristina Cortinas de Nava and colleagues in Mexico in 1980 to represent Latin America. As noted by Fred de Serres, who was one of the co-founders of the EMS, such societies were necessary because protecting populations from environmental mutagens could not be addressed by existing scientific societies, and new multi-disciplinary alliances were required to spearhead this movement. These societies gathered policy makers and scientists from government, industry, and academia who helped implement laws requiring genotoxicity testing of pesticides and drugs; created an electronic database of the mutagenesis literature; established journals; promoted basic and applied research in DNA repair and mutagenesis; and established collaborations, conferences, and training programs that expanded the science worldwide. After 50 years, the voyage continues, and vibrant environmental mutagen societies are needed to bring this daring mutagenesis mission to its intended landing site. [Abstract does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. EPA.]

Record Details: