Research Toxicologist — Genetic and Molecular Toxicology

Tao Chen, Ph.D., DABT
(870) 543-7121
[email protected]  

Back to NCTR Principal Investigator page

About  |  Publications  |  Lab Members

Background

 Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. degree in toxicology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1997. After graduation, he worked as a postdoctoral scientist at Duke University until 2000. Dr. Chen was an FDA staff fellow in the Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology from 2000 to 2002 and has been a research toxicologist in 2003. Dr. Chen has been a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology since 1999.

Research Interests

Dr. Chen leads a team that conducts research to develop and validate genotoxic methods and to better understand the genotoxicity of FDA-related products. Dr. Chen’s early research mainly addressed the validation of rodent transgenic-mutation systems and the development of different methods for the molecular characterization of chemical-induced mutations. He has investigated mutagenicity and fundamental mechanisms of mutagens associated with FDA regulations, such as tamoxifen, retinyl palmitate, aristolochic acid, acrylamide, and other drug impurities using different genotoxicity endpoints. He has recently focused his research on the evaluation of genotoxicity assays for assessing nanomaterials. He also looks to the development of new microRNA assays to supplement current genotoxicity battery. Finally, Dr. Chen is interested in the assessment of chemical-induced somatic and germline mutations using next-generation sequencing methods.

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

Environmental Mutagen Society
Member
1995 – Present

ILSI HESI Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee
Member
2012 – Present

International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Genomics Committee
Member
2005 – Present 

MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society
Member
2006 – Present

Sequencing Quality Control Consortium
Member
2013 – Present

Society of Toxicology
Member
1997 – Present

Select Publications

Publication titles are linked to text abstracts on PubMed.

Genotoxicity and Gene Expression Analyses of Liver and Lung Tissues of Mice Treated with Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles.
Li Y, Yan J, Ding W, Chen Y, Pack M, and Chen T.
Mutagenesis. 2017, 32 (1): 33-46.
 

Factors Affecting the In Vitro Micronucleus Assay for Evaluation of Nanomaterials.
Li Y, Doak S. H, Yan J, Chen H, Zhou M, Mittelstaedt A, Chen Y, Li C, and Chen T.
Mutagenesis. 2017, 32 (1): 151-159.
 

Absolute Measurement of Cardiac Injury-Induced microRNAs in Biofluids Across Multiple Test Sites.
Thompson L, Boitier E, Chen T, Couttet P, Ellinger-Ziegelbauer H, Goetschy M, Guillemain G, Kanki M, Kelsall J, Mariet C, de La Moureyre-Spire C, Mouritzen P, Nassirpour R, O'Lone R, Pine S, Rosenzweig A, Sharapova T, Smith A, Uchiyama H, Yan J, Yuen S, and Wolfinger R.
Toxicol Sci. 2016, 154 (1): 115-125.
 

Size- and Coating-Dependent Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Silver Nanoparticles Evaluated Using In Vitro Standard Assays.
Guo X, Li Y, Yan J, Ingle T, Jones Y, Mei N, Boudreau D, Cunningham K, Abbas M, Paredes M, Zhou T, Moore M, Howard C, and Chen T.
Nanotoxicology. 2016, 10 (9): 1373-84.
 

Differential Genotoxicity Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticles and Silver Ions.
Li Y, Qin T, Ingle T, Yan J, He W, Yin J, and Chen T.
Arch Toxicol. 2016, 10 (9): 1373–1384.
 

Decrease of 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in Rat Liver with Subchronic Exposure to Genotoxic Carcinogens Riddelliine and Aristolochic Acid.
Lian G, Xu S, Guo W, Yan J, Frank M. Y, Liu R, Liu C, Chen Y, Murphy F, and Chen T.
Mol Carcinog. 2015, 54 (11): 1503-7.
 

Integrated MicroRNA, MRNA, and Protein Expression Profiling Reveals MicroRNA Regulatory Networks in Rat Kidney Treated with a Carcinogenic Dose of Aristolochic Acid.
Li Z, Qin, T, Wang K, Hackenberg M, Yan J, Gao Y, Yu L. R, Shi L, Su Z, and Chen T.
BMC Genomics. 2015, 16 365.
 

Causes of Genome Instability: The Effect of Low Dose Chemical Exposures in Modern Society.
Langie S. A, Koppen G, Desaulniers D, Al-Mulla F, Al-Temaimi R, Amedei A, Azqueta A, Bisson H, Brown D, Brunborg G, Charles K, and Chen T.
Carcinogenesis. 2015, 36 Suppl 1 S61-88.
 

Assessing the Carcinogenic Potential of Low-Dose Exposures to Chemical Mixtures in the Environment: The Challenge Ahead.
Goodson H, Lowe L, Carpenter O, Gilbertson M, Manaf Ali A, Lopez de Cerain Salsamendi A, Lasfar A, Carnero A, Azqueta A, Amedei A, Charles K, and Chen T.
Carcinogenesis. 2015, 36 Suppl 1 S254-96.
 

A Comprehensive Assessment of RNA-seq Accuracy, Reproducibility and Information Content by the Sequencing Quality Control Consortium.
SEQC/MAQC-III Consortium.
Nat Biotechnol. 2014, 32 (9): 903-14.
 

Tissue-Specific microRNA Responses in Rats Treated with Mutagenic and Carcinogenic Doses of Aristolochic Acid.
Meng F, Li, Z, Yan J, Manjanatha M, Shelton S, Yarborough S, and Chen T.
Mutagenesis. 2014, 29 (5): 357-65.
 

Absence of Mature MicroRNAs Inactivates the Response of Gene Expression to Carcinogenesis Induced by N-Ethyl-N-Nitrosourea in Mouse Liver.
Luan Y, Qi X, Xu L, Ren J, and Chen T.
J Appl Toxicol. 2014, 34 (12): 1409-17.
 

Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity Assessment of Silver Nanoparticles in Mouse.
Li Y, Bhalli A, Ding W, Yan J, Pearce G, Sadiq R, Cunningham K, Jones Y, Monroe A, Howard C, Zhou T, and Chen T.
Nanotoxicology. 2014, 8(Suppl 1): 36-45.
 

miR-34a Suppresses Mutagenesis by Inducing Apoptosis in Human Lymphoblastoid TK6 Cells.
Chen X, Zhang Y, Yan J, Sadiq R, and Chen T.
Mutat Res. 2013, 758 (1-2): 35-40.
 

Genotoxicity of 2-Bromo-3'-Chloropropiophenone.
Meng F, Yan J, Li Y, Fu P, Fossom H, Sood K, Mans J, Chu I, Moore M, and Chen T.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2013, 270 (2): 158-63.
 

Genotoxicity of TiO2 Anatase Nanoparticles in B6C3F1 Male Mice Evaluated Using Pig-A and Flow Cytometric Micronucleus Assays.
Sadiq R, Bhalli J. A, Yan J, Woodruff R. S, Pearce M. G, Li Y, Mustafa T, Watanabe F, Pack M, Biris A, Khan M, and Chen T.
Mutat Res. 2012, 745 65-72.
 

Discovery of Novel MicroRNAs in Rat Kidney Using Next Generation Sequencing and Microarray Validation.
Meng F, Hackenber M, Li Z, Yan J, and Chen T.
PLoS One. 2012, 7 (3): e34394.
 

Silver Nanoparticle-Induced Mutations and Oxidative Stress in Mouse Lymphoma Cells.
Mei N, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Guo X, Ding W, Ali F, Biris S, Rice P, Moore M, and Chen T.
Environ Mol Mutagen. 2012, 53 (6): 409-19.
 

Expression Level of Mir-34a Rather Than P53 Gene Status Correlates with Mutability in Related Human Lymphoblast Cell Lines.
Chen X, Yan J, and Chen T.
Mol Carcinog. 2012, 51 (8): 674-7.
 

MicroRNA Expression Profiles Distinguish the Carcinogenic Effects of Riddelliine in Rat Liver.
Chen T, Li Z, Yan J, Yang X, and Salminen W.
Mutagenesis. 2012, 27 (1): 59-66.
 

Lab Members

Contact information for all lab members:
(870) 543-7121
[email protected]

Hua Du, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow

Bohu Pan, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow

Jian Yan, M.S.
Chemist