ABSTRACT
Marine algal toxins are generally low molecular weight, non-peptide secondary metabolites. All are produced by microbes and primarily by dinofl agellates, unique creatures with disproportionally large genomes (Lin 2006). These toxins have extreme structural and toxicological diversity (Tubaro et al. 2012) and most marine algal toxins pose a special threat due to fi lter feeding and bioaccumulation in shellfi sh (Van Dolah 2000). Those found in shellfi sh require large scale monitoring programs for marine biotoxins and use harvest-level control for health protection (Hungerford and Wekell 1993). Mouse bioassays have been the cornerstone of shellfi sh toxin monitoring, a situation that is now rapidly changing in the 21st century (Hess et al. 2006). Method validation and implementations are always challenging due to a changing analytical technology that is based on detection principles as varied as biochemistry, cell biology, and mass spectrometry. Progress is being made however, and on a global scale: Thanks to international level collaborations, methodology training, increasing
ATC, PRL-NW, FDA, AOAC Marine and Freshwater Toxins Task Force, 22201 23rd Dr. SE, Bothell, WA 98021, USA. Email: James.Hungerford@fda.gov
availability of reference materials and fi nally a greater understanding of the toxins, new methods are now being used in regulation and these methods provide superior protection of public health. This chapter will give an overview of what forces drive these positive changes, as well as challenges that must be overcome.
