Intern: Darren Hayes

Mentor: Andrea Neal

Faculty: Jean-Michel Cousteau

Curriculum Overview

Many plastics are in our oceans. Sunlight and alkaline ocean water break these plastics down into small particles—many are nanoscale in size. These nanoparticles can easily enter our cells. How do these particles cross membranes into cells? The lab below will help students understand how nanoparticles in our oceans can carry toxic pollutants into our cells, and how this may interfere with proper physiological function.