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Faculty of Science

UFV/Faculty of Science/Research in science/Lee Lab

Lee Lab

Dr. Lee's research centers on the use of cell culture models derived from non-mammalian species, specifically fish and economically important invertebrates such as bees, shrimp, and lobsters.

Specifically, Dr. Lee's interest revolves around developing continuous cell lines that can be readily available and used for evaluating effects of nutrients, hormones, drugs, contaminants, toxicants, for applications in animal health, animal husbandry, biotechnology, environmental monitoring, etc.

Current projects funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) include the development of fish cell lines and their use in the study of intracellular parasites like the microsporidia that have become emerging pathogens of concern.

Dr. Lee’s team members have used classical cell-culture methodologies along with proteomics and immunotechniques to understand interactions of host cells with model intracellular and extracellular aquatic pathogens. Recent interests have expanded to cover areas of concern in agriculture such as the study of microsporidians affecting bees, climate change and pesticide effects in non-target species, and evaluation of nutraceuticals, specifically, evaluating blueberry components for fish diets using fish intestinal cells (the latter funded by an NSERC Strategic).

Dr. Lee has adjunct faculty appointments at the University of British Columbia, Zoology Department; the University of Waterloo, Department of Biology; Wilfrid Laurier University, Department of Biology; as well as graduate appointments at the University of Guelph, Biomedical Sciences; and as such has supervised or co-supervised many graduate students.

At UFV, Dr. Lee has supervised several undergraduate and post-graduate students in various research projects and these include:

  • Ryan Goldbach (2021) research assistant
  • Heather Kelly (2020) volunteer assistant: general cell culture, quantitative methods, NSERC USRA (2021)
  • Daylan Pritchard (2020) NSERC USRA
  • Eryn Braley (2019): Evaluation of common pesticides on fish cell lines, NSERC USRA
  • Eric Sung-Jae Cho (2019) research assistant: general cell culture, quantitative methods
  • Brenna Hay (2019): Genotoxic effects of neonicotinoids in fish cells (NSERC USRA) **Pictured above
  • Petra Lee (2019): Fish and shrimp cell culture
  • Michael Mong (2019): Characterizing fish muscle cell lines (co-op UBC)
  • Arianne Qanberry (2019): Effect of temperature fluctuations in vitro on fish mitochondria
  • Anthony Miyagi (2018, 2019): Initiation and culture of invertebrate cells: bees and shrimp
  • Taylor Boyd (2018): Culture of trout olfactory cells, NSERC-USRA
  • Tessa Webb (2017-2018) research assistant: Fish mesenchymal cell culture maintenance and quality control
  • Veronica Kobes (2017) research assistant: Histology of rainbow trout tissues,  NSERC-USRA (2018)
  • Sergio Navarro (2017): Primary cell cultures of rainbow trout, routine fish cell line growth
  • Harshraj Sidhu (2016, 2017): In vitro toxicology; and Co-cultures of gastrointestinal and immune cells, NSERC USRARachael Hyun Bae (2016): Cell culture maintenance, mycoplasma testing
  • Jose Martin Gomez (2016): UFV BSc Honours Thesis, visiting international student
  • Gaganjeet Mahil (2016): Evaluation of blueberry extracts w fish cells, NSERC USRA
  • Gagandeep Rai (2015-2016): Fish feed evaluation, NSERC USRA
  • Manjot Birk (2015) volunteer: Routine fish cell line maintenance
  • Kamal Moghrabi (2015): Neonicotinoid effects in fish cells, NSERC USRA
  • Vishesh Oberoi (2015): Scratch assays, Blueberry extract effects on fish, NSERC USRA
  • Hardeep Saran (2015) volunteer: Basic fish cell culture
  • Alyssa Zucchet (2015): Cell maintenance, lab upkeep
  • Kevin Kobes (2014): Evaluating physicochemical factors on the growth of fish and invertebrate cells, NSERC USRA
  • Mandeep Kaur Saran (2014) Characterizing cod cells, NSERC USRA
  • John Andrew Alexander (2013-2014): Quality control of fish and insect cells NSERC USRA
  • Fabiola Rojas (2013-2014) technician: Assistance with cell culture lab maintenance and organization
  • Marcus Cardoso Trento (2013): Evaluation of agricultural contaminants (Science without borders student from Brazil Genotoxic)

Invited Lectures & Talks

2019

  1. In vitro made Sushi. Department of Biological Sciences. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. December 17.
  2. Saving the Ocean Fish: Growing Fish Meat in a Lab. Abbotsford Learning Plus Society, Abbotsford, BC. November 5. [PowerPoint Presentation Slides]
  3. Cellular Agriculture/ Aquaculture: Meat in a lab. Plant & Food Research, Nelson, New Zealand. February 28.

2018

  1. Cellular Agriculture: Pros and Cons of Growing Meat in a Lab. UFV Faculty of Science greenSPEAK Series December 5.
  2. Ecotoxicology & Fish Invitromatics. Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK. August 29.
  3. Marine Fish Invitromatics. Plant & Food Research, Nelson, New Zealand. April 24.
  4. Development and Use of Various Marine Fish Cell Lines. Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. March February 20.
  5. Fish Invitromatics. Dean of Science Seminar Series, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsfod, BC. February 20.
  6. Invitromatics: The Art & Science of Cell Culture. Comparative Physiology Group, Department of Zoology, UBC. January 22.
  7. KFE-5, a myogenic cell line derived from embryonic mesodermal tissue of killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus. Finless Fish, Berkeley, CA. January 15.

2017

  1. The use of fish intestinal cells for aquaculture feed research. Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway. September 25.
  2. Role of fish cell lines in fisheries and aquaculture. Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway. September 25.
  3. Twenty years of research with the trout monocytic cell lines RTS-11, Austral University Chile, Interdisciplinary Centre for Aquaculture Research, January 16.
  4. History, develoment and use of fish cell lines. Collagen forming fish cell lines and their use, Austral University Chile, Biochemistry and Microbiology Insitute, January 19.

2016

  1. Avoiding questionable journals/publishers, Semi-annual meeting of BC Deans of Arts and Science Programs, Kelowna, BC
  2. Fish cell lines as tools in fish health and environmental monitoring, UFV Microlectures, February 24
  3. The Korean gender gap & Moving Forward, International Women’s day, UFV SUB, March 8
  4. Open Access Journals and Predatory Publishers, BC Deans of Arts and Science meeting, Kelowna, BC, April 12

Publicatons

2016-2021 (Underlined names are those of my trainees)

  1. Jenik K, Alkie TN, Moore E, Dejong JD, Lee LEJ, DeWitte-Orr SJ. 2021. Characterization of a bovine intestinal myofibroblast cell line and stimulation using phytoglycogen-based nanoparticles bound to inosine monophosphate. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Animal 57 (1): 86-94.
  2. Pumputis PG, Dayeh VR, Lee LEJ, Hamilton ME,Viththiyapaskaran S, Bols NC. 2019. Beneficial and detrimental effects of the phytochemical naringenin on rainbow trout intestinal cells. Journal of Functional Foods (in press https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.103653).
  3. Schirmer K, Stadnicka J, Belanger S, Blaha L, Bols N, Dyer S, Embry M, Fischer M, Halder M, Hermens J, Hultman M, Kramer N, Laue H, Lee L, Lillicrap A, Natsch A, Segner H, Tanneberger K, Tollefsen K, Werner I, Witters H, Zupanic A. 2019. Cell-based data to predict the toxicity of chemicals to fish. Commentary on the manuscript by Rodrigues et al., 2019. Environmental Pollution 252:476-482.
  4. Pham PH, Sokeechand BSH, Hamilton ME, Misk E, Jones G, Lee LEJ, Lumsden JS, Bols NC. 2019. VER-155008 induced Hsp70 proteins expression in fish cell cultures while impeding replication of two RNA viruses. Antiviral Research 162: 151-162.
  5. MacLeod MJ, Vo NTK, Mikhaeil MS, Monaghan SR, Alexander JAN, Saran, MK, Lee LEJ. 2018. Development of a Continuous Cell Line from Larval Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) and its Use in the Study of the Microsporidian, Loma morhua. J Fish Diseases 41(9): 1359-1372.
  6. Pumputis PG, Dayeh VR, Lee LEJ, Pham PH, Viththiyapaskaran S, Bols NC. 2018. Responses of rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells to different kinds of nutritional deprivation. Fish Physiol Biochem 44: 1197-1214.
  7. Kim JJ, Hamilton ME, Pham PH, Lee LEJ, Bols NC. 2018. Effect of selenomethionine on cell viability and heat shock protein 70 levels in rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells at hypo-, normo-, and hyper-thermic temperatures. J Thermal Biol 76: 107-114.
  8. Trento MVC, Cesar PHS, Marcussi S, Lee LEJ. 2018. Genotoxic action of naphthenic acids on the fish macrophage cell line, RTS11. Int J Environ Poll 63: 117- 130.
  9. Bols NC, Pham PH, Dayeh VR, Lee LEJ. 2017. Invitromatics, invitrome and invitroomics: Introduction of three new terms for in vitro biology and illustration of their use with the cell lines from rainbow trout. In Vitro cell dev Bio Anim. (Ms # IVAN-D-16-00404R1, accepted Feb 6, 2017) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3603/epdf
  10. Lillicrap A, Belanger S, Burden N, Du Pasquier D, Embry M, Halder M, Lampi M, Lee LEJ, Norbert-King T, Rattner BA, Schirmer K, Thomas P. 2016. Alternative approaches to vertebrate ecotoxicity tests in the 21st century: a reveiw of developments over the last two decades and current status. Env Tox Chem. 35: 2637-2646 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3603/epdf
  11. Bloch SR, Vo NTK,  Walsh SK, Chen CC, Lee LEJ, Hodson PV, Bols NC. 2016. Development of a cell line from the American eel brain expressing endothelial cell properties. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim. 52(4): 395-409. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11626-015-9986-8
  12. Lillicrap A, Belanger S, Burden N,  Embry M, Lee LEJ, Leonard M (2016) Is the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity Test Under Threat? A Perspective from the SETAC Global Animal Alternatives Advisory Group. SETAC Globe 17(8) http://globe.setac.org/2016/august/fet-test.html

Conference Presentations (last 2 years only)

  1. Braley E, Hay BN, Lee LEJ (2019) Evaluating the environmental risks of neonicotinoids in vitro: genotoxicity in fish cell lines. Canadian Ecotoxicity Workshop, Quebec City, QC. Oct 6-9
  2. Lee LEJ, Bols NC (2019) Development and uses of fish gill cell lines: an update with RTgill-W1 in toxicology. Canadian Ecotoxicity Workshop, Quebec City, QC. Oct 6-9
  3. Dowd GC, Chong G, Lee LEJ, Marshall S, Wellenreuther M (2019) Fish in vitro biology: another piece of the puzzle for the aquaculture of New Zealand native species Chrysophrys auratus. Society for In Vitro Biology meeting, Tampa, FL. June 8-13
  4. Hay BN, Lee LEJ (2019) Evaluating potential genotoxicity of imidacloprid with fish cell lines. Society for In Vitro Biology meeting, Tampa, FL. June 8-13
  5. Qanberry AM, Boyd TM, Webb TH, Lee LEJ (2019) Analyzing the Potential Effects of Temperature Changes on Fish Cell Lines. Soc. for In Vitro Biol. meeting, Tampa, FL. June 8-13
  6. Lee PWC, Miyagi AU, Opolko GC, Lee LEJ (2019) Edging closer to developing marine invertebrate cell lines. Society for In Vitro Biology meeting, Tampa, FL. June 8-13
  7. Bols NC, Pumputis PG, Dayeh VR, Lee LEJ (2019), 2016 Effects of the phytochemical, naringenin, on rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells. Soc. for In Vitro Biology meeting, Tampa, FL. June 8-13
  8. Jenik K, Alkie TN, Moore E, Lee LEJ, DeWitte-Orr SJ (2019) Enhancing the efficacy of inosine monophosphate in production animals using a novel delivery system. Can Society of Zoologists annual meeting, Windsor, ON. May 13-16
  9. Lee LEJ (2019) In vitro fish meat in the making. Can Society of Zoologists annual meeting, Windsor, ON. May 13-16
  10. Hay BN, Lee LEJ (2019) Evaluating potential genotoxicity of imidacloprid with fish cell lines. Presented as a poster at both UFV Undergraduate Research Day. Mar 26, 2019, and at the 14th annual undergraduate research conference- UBC Okanagan. March 30, 2019
  11. Qanberry AM, Lee LEJ (2019) Analyzing the Potential Effects of Environmental Changes on Fish Cell Lines. Presented as a poster at the 14th annual undergraduate research conference- UBC Okanagan. March 30, 2019