Sascha Nicklisch

Research:

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Pollutant and Drug Bioaccumulation in Organisms. Our research examines how pollutants and drugs enter and accumulate in cells despite cellular defense systems equipped with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters — proteins evolved to recognize and export foreign chemicals. A central focus is P-gp and related transporters, such as MDR1 and BCRP, which we study across organisms ranging from honey bees to humans using tools including radiocarbon labeling, accelerator mass spectrometry, and protein biochemistry. In marine systems, we demonstrated that persistent organic pollutants present in apex predators such as yellowfin tuna — including PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, and PBDEs — are potent P-glycoprotein inhibitors, and we solved the first co-crystal structure of a drug transporter bound to an environmental pollutant. In the context of expanding cannabinoid use, we investigate how phytocannabinoids and novel THC formulations interact with ABC transporters at biological barriers, with implications for drug-drug interactions and inhalation exposure risks from vaping aerosols. In honey bees, we combine toxicodynamic modeling, caste-specific transporter expression profiling, and gut microbiome analyses to understand how pesticide mixtures compromise colony-level chemical defenses — work that extends to real-time airborne exposure monitoring using drone-mounted sampling systems. Parallel efforts target Varroa destructor mites, where we are developing structure-guided ABC transporter inhibitors as synergists to restore acaricide sensitivity in resistant mite populations. Across all projects, our interdisciplinary approach integrates structural biology, analytical chemistry, and molecular toxicology to advance understanding of how organisms succeed or fail in defending against chemical exposures.

Specialties/Focus:

Membrane Protein Biochemistry
Enzyme Kinetics
Structural Biology
Molecular Toxicology

Education and Experience:

• University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany – PhD in Protein Biochemistry – 2005-2008
• University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany – MS in Biological Sciences – 1999-2005

Teaching:

• ETX 103A - Biological Effects of Toxicants (Winter)
• ETX 128 - Food Toxicology (Spring)

Campus Memberships:

• ACCELERATE Fellow
• Hellman Fellow
• AggieOpen Fellow
• First Generation Faculty Learning Community
• Coastal & Marine Sciences Institute (CMSI)
• Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics (IPN)
• Cannabis and Hemp Research Center (CHRC)
• Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry (AGC) Graduate Group
• Pharmacology and Toxicology (PTX) Graduate Group
• Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (BMCDB) Graduate Group

Recent Publications:

•  Encerrado-Manriquez, A.M., Spooner, Z.T., Truong, T.T., Fine, J.D., Nicklisch, S.C.T.* (2025). Developmental and Caste-specific Expression Patterns of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporters in Honey bees (Apis mellifera). Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology (ETAP). 
• Chiu, E., Tran, L., Hunsaker, H., Nicklisch, S.C.T., Nguyen, T. (2025). Effects of terpenes on the emissions of aerosols and carbonyls from vaping delta-8- and delta-10-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). ES&T Air.
• Young, M.A., Rees, S.D., Nicklisch, S.C.T., Stowell, M., Hamdoun, A., Chang, G. (2025). Cryo-EM structures of apo and DDT-bound P-glycoprotein in yellowfin tuna. ES&T.