Worms in Wonderland? Evaluating the Environmental Risks of Antidepressants using the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Summary

My PhD research focused on understanding how antidepressants, specifically fluoxetine and sertraline, affect the environment. Antidepressants are not fully broken down in our bodies and can end up in nature, potentially affecting wildlife. Using a tiny roundworm, called Caenorhabditis elegans, I studied how these drugs are absorbed, metabolized, and eliminated by these organisms. I also examined how these drugs change the worms' behavior and whether low doses can still have significant effects. My research found that antidepressants can indeed impact non-target organisms and highlighted the need for better environmental risk assessments.