Margiotta-Casaluci Lab
Mechanistic & Translational Toxicology
Welcome to the
Margiotta-Casaluci Lab
Decoding biology to protect human and environmental health
Every day, we are exposed to thousands of chemicals through the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products we use. Yet, over 80% of these substances have never been tested for their potential to harm human and environmental health. Adding to this concern, the regulatory frameworks that govern chemical marketing authorisation still predominantly assess the risk of individual substances - despite the fact that, in reality, we are exposed to complex mixtures that may interact in ways that amplify their overall risk of adverse health effects.
At the Margiotta-Casaluci Lab, based at King’s College London, we investigate how environmental chemicals and pharmaceuticals affect biological systems — with the goal of protecting both human and environmental health.
Our research focuses on decoding the mechanisms of chemical-induced toxicity, particularly how chemicals disrupt the immune system and inflammatory responses, and how these perturbations contribute to dysfunction in critical biological systems — including the brain, behaviour, reproduction, and cardiovascular functions.
To tackle these challenges, we combine:
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Advanced in vitro systems using both human and zebrafish cells
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Zebrafish-based experimental biology
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High-content imaging to visualise and quantify chemical effects at both the cellular and organ level
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AI-driven analytics and network-based toxicology
We use these tools to develop next-generation, non-animal New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) designed to predict chemical hazards with high precision, support regulatory decision-making, and reduce reliance on animal testing.
By integrating experimental toxicology, computational biology, and a deep understanding of mixture effects, our lab contributes to the creation of safer chemicals, better medicines, and smarter policies for the protection of human and environmental health.
Funders
BBSRC
NC3Rs
European Commission
Brunel University London
AstraZeneca
Unilever
Syngenta
News
Research Projects
Network pharmacology
approaches for the prediction of drug
mixture effects
Industrial Partnerships & Consultancy Services
Innovative Solutions for
Next Generation Chemical Safety Assessment
We support industry partners in accelerating their chemical safety and R&D strategies through science-led, non-animal approaches.
Our consulting services focus on three core areas:
1. Development and Deployment of Human and Fish NAMs
We provide expert guidance on the development and implementation of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in both human and fish models. These NAMs generate high-quality, non-animal mechanistic data to support robust chemical risk assessment and regulatory submissions, aligned with modern safety paradigms.
2. Predictive Toxicology and AI-Powered Advanced Data Analytics
Our team offers cutting-edge data science solutions to predict toxicological hazards using a range of computational tools, including AI-enabled models, data visualisation, and integrative analytics. We help you turn complex datasets into actionable insights that drive safer, smarter decisions.
3. R&D and Pipeline De-Risking Support
Beyond regulatory applications, we work with your internal R&D teams to identify and mitigate potential safety liabilities early in development. Our services are designed to strengthen your decision-making processes and reduce attrition throughout the discovery and development pipeline.
Current industry partners
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AstraZeneca
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Unilever
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Syngenta
For more details, please get in touch:
Group members
LUIGI MARGIOTTA-CASALUCI, PhD
Group Leader, Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Mechanistic & Translational Toxicology
Luigi is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Mechanistic & Translational Toxicology, and Group Leader at King's College London with nearly 20 years of experience in the study of mode-of-action-driven toxicology of pharmaceuticals and cross-species extrapolation. He earned his PhD in Environmental Toxicology from Brunel University London in 2011 ( sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline), under the supervision of Professor John Sumpter OBE, working on the extrapolation of pharmacological and toxicological data between zebrafish, mammalian pre-clinical models, and humans. Luigi continued to develop his research interests in comparative pharmacology during a 4-year BBSRC/AstraZeneca-funded Post-Doc at AstraZeneca and Brunel University London, where he started his independent research group in 2015. In 2021, Luigi joined the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science at King's College London, where he leads an ambitious research program at the intersection of mechanistic toxicology, data science, and regulatory practice, developing animal-free toxicology approaches to support the safe use of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. In addition to his research, Luigi serves as member of Defra’s Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee, advising the UK Government on chemical safety and environmental health. He also chairs the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB) at King’s College London, Guy’s campus, contributing to sustain King’s global leadership in ethical and responsible research practices.
GIAN HOBBS
PhD Candidate
Gian is PhD candidate, holding a 4-year BBSRC/AstraZeneca PhD studentship. His research is aimed at exploring the phenotypic and functional conservation of drug-induced immune and inflammatory responses in zebrafish and human. Before joining the Margiotta-Casaluci Lab, Gian read Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics at Queen Mary University of London. After completing his BSc, he earned an MRes in Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at King's College London, where he gained research experience with the use of C. elegans as toxicology model.
RICHA MALIK
PhD Candidate
Richa holds a 4-year BBSRC/Unilever PhD iCASE studentship. Her research is aimed at developing novel AI-based methods to predict species sensitivity to chemicals. Before joining the Margiotta-Casaluci Lab, Richa read Biotechnology at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (India). After completing her BSc, she earned an MSc in Genomic Medicine at Queen Mary University London, where she gained research experience with the development of advanced bioinformatic pipelines.
AMINA ALI
PhD Candidate
Amina is a PhD candidate funded by a 3-year Dean’s PhD studentship at Brunel University, of London, supervised by Professor Felicity Gavins at the Centre of Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine (CIRTM), in collaboration with Dr Margiotta-Casaluci. Her research focuses on developing novel zebrafish and human in vitro models for thrombo-inflammation and characterising the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs within these models. Before joining the Gavins and Margiotta-Casaluci Labs, Amina graduated in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Reading.
BENJAMIN HOLMES
Data Scientist
Ben is data scientist and registered associate nutritionist interested in research areas such as human disease, nutrition, sports science and pharmacology. He joined our team in 2022, and since then he has been developing a novel and exciting data platform - integrated with intuitive data viz - that will become a reference tool for any stakeholder interested in the use of toxicity data to support regulatory decision making.
ALUMNI
Since 2016
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Dr Philip Marmon - PhD (now Clinical Trial Manager III at Medpace)
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Dr Ines Moreira - PhD (now SEAC Safety Scientist at Unilever)
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Dr Hanna Dusza - PhD (now Assistant Professor at Utrecht University)
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Dr Charles Hamilton - PhD at the University of Exeter (now at Procter & Gamble)
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>15 other BSc and MSc interns since 2018
Get in touch
Dr Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci
Franklin-Wilkins Building - Room 3.77
King's College London
Department of Analytical, Environmental, & Forensic Sciences
School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences
London
United Kingdom
M: under request
Publications
(2024) Recommendations for the Adoption of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in UK Chemical Regulation .
Colbourne, J.K.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Chilton, S.; Jones, K.; Lynch, I.; Owen, S.F. DEFRA's HSAC Policy Report. Link
(2024) Exposure effects of synthetic glucocorticoid drugs on skeletal development and immune cell function in zebrafish.
Hamilton, C.M.; (...) Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; (...) Tyler, C.H, Science of The Total Environment 955:176781. Link
(2024) Building an Adverse Outcome Pathway Network for COVID-19.
Nymark, P.; (...) Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; (...) Halappanavar, S, Frontiers in Systems Biology Vol 4. Link
(2024) Assessing environmental risks during the drug development process for parasitic vector-borne diseases.
Ilbegi, K.; (...) Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Bundschuh, M. ACS Infectious diseases 10(4): 1026-1033. Link
(2023) Cross‐species extrapolation of biological data to guide the environmental safety assessment of pharmaceuticals–The state of the art and future priorities.
Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Owen, S.F.; Winter, MJ. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 43(1): 513-525. Link
(2023) Big Question to Developing Solutions: A Decade of Progress in the Development of Aquatic New Approach Methodologies from 2012 to 2022.
Langan, L.; Paparella, M.; Burden, N.; Constantine, L.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Miller, T.H.; Jannnike Moe, S.; Owen. S.F.; Schaffert, A.; Sikanen, T. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 43(3): 559-574. Link
(2022) Environmental Occurrence and Predicted Pharmacological Risk to Freshwater Fish of over 200 Neuroactive Pharmaceuticals in Widespread Use.
Sumpter, J.P.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L. Toxics 10(5):233. Link
(2022) COVID-19 through adverse outcome pathways: Building networks to better understand the disease – 3rd CIAO AOP Design Workshop
Clerbaux, L-A.; (...) Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; (...) Wittwehr, C. ALTEX 39(2): 322-335. Link
(2022) Are synthetic glucocorticoids in the aquatic environment a risk to fish?
Hamilton, C.M; Winter, M.J.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Owen, S.F.; Tyler, C.R. Environment International 162, 107163. Link
(2021) Pharmacology-informed prediction of the risk posed to fish by mixtures of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the environment.
Marmon, P.; Owen, S.F.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L. Environment International 146, 106222. Link
(2020) New ideas for non-animal approaches to predict repeated-dose systemic toxicity: Report from an EPAA Blue Sky Workshop.
Mahony, C.; Ashton, R.S.; Birk, B.; Boobis, A.R.; Cull, T,; Daston, G.P.; Ewart, L.; Knudsen, T.B.; Manou, I.; Maurer-Stroh, S.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Müller, B.P.; Nordlund, P.; Roberts, R.A.; Steger-Hartmann, T.; Vandenbossche, E.; Viants, M.R.; Vinken, M.; Cronin. Regulatory Pharmacology and Toxicology 114, 104668. Link
(2020) Toxicology advances for 21st century chemical pollution.
Brooks, B.W.; Sabo-Attwood, T.; Choi, K.; Kim, S.; Kostal, J.; LaLone, C.A.; Langan, L.M.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; You, J.; Zhang, X. One Earth 2:312-316. Link
Legler, J.; Zalko, D.; Jourdan, F.; Jacobs, M.; Fromenty, B.; Balaguer, P.; Bourguet, W.; Munic Kos, V.; Nadal, A.; Beausoleil, C.; Cristobal, S.; Remy, S.; Ermler, S.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Griffin, J.L.; Blumberg, B.; Chesné, C.; Hoffmann, S.; Andersson, P.L.; Kamstra, J.H., on behalf of the GOLIATH Consortium; Int. J. Mol. Sci. 21, 3480. Link
Rivetti C; Allen TEH; Brown JB; Butler B; Carmichael PL; Colbourne JK; Dent M; Falciani F; Gunnarsson L; Gutsell S; Harrill JA; Hodges G; Jennings P; Judson R; Kienzler A; Margiotta-Casaluci L; Muller I; Owen SF; Rendal C; Russell PJ; Scott S; Sewell F; Shah I; Sorrel I; Viant MR; Westmoreland C; White A; Campos B. Toxicology in Vitro 104692. Link
(2020) Immunoassays are not immune to errors: examples from two studies of steroid output from freshwater trout farms.
Ellis T; Waring CP; Margiotta-Casaluci L; Pottinger TG; Morris S; Reese A; Sumpter JP; Scott AP. General and Comparative Endocrinology 285,113226. Link
(2019) Testing the translational power of the zebrafish: an inter-species analysis of responses to cardiovascular drugs.
Margiotta-Casaluci L; Owen SF; Rand-Weaver, M; Winter MJ. Frontiers in Pharmacology 10, 893. Link
(2019) Pharmacology beyond the patient – the environmental risk of human drugs.
Gunnarsson L; Snape J; Verbruggen B; Owen S; Kristiansson E; Margiotta-Casaluci L; Österlund T; Hutchinson K; Leverett D; Marks B; Tyler CR. Environment International 129,320-332. Link
(2019) Protecting the environment from psychoactive drugs: problems for regulators illustrated by the possible effects of tramadol on fish behaviour.
Tanoue R; Margiotta-Casaluci L; Huerta B; Runnalls TJ; Eguchi A; Nomiyama K; Kunisue T; Tanabe S; Sumpter JP. Science of the Total Environment 664,915-926. Link
(2018) Adverse Outcome Pathway Networks I: Development and Applications.
Knapen D; Angrish MM; Fortin MC; Katsiadaki I; Leonard M; Margiotta- Casaluci L; Munn S; O’Brien JM; Pollesch N; Smith C; Zhang X; Villeneuve DL. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37,1723-1733. Link
(2018) Adverse Outcome Pathway Networks II: Network Analytics.
Villeneuve, D.L., Angrish, M.M., Fortin, M.C., Katsiadaki, I., Leonard, M., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Munn, S., O’Brien, J.M., Pollesch, N., Smith, C., Zhang, X., Knapen, D. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 37,1734-1748. Link
(2017) Uptake and Metabolism of Human Pharmaceuticals by Fish—A Case Study with the Opioid Analgesic Tramadol.
Tanoue, R., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Huerta, B., Runnalls, T.J., Nomiyama, K., Kunisue, T., Tanabe, S., Sumpter, J.P. Environmental Science and Technology 51,12825-12835. Link
(2016) Internal exposure dynamics drive the Adverse Outcome Pathways of synthetic glucocorticoids in fish.
Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Owen, S.F., Huerta, B., Rodríguez-Mozaz, S., Kugathas, S., Barceló, D., Rand-Weaver, M., Sumpter, J.P. Scientific Reports 6. Link
(2016) Anti-anxiety drugs and fish behaviour: establishing the link between internal concentrations of oxazepam and behavioural effects.
Huerta, B., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Rodríguez-Mozaz, S., Scholze, M., Winter, M.J., Barceló, D., Sumpter, J.P.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 35(11),2782-2790. Link
(2015) From single chemicals to mixtures: reproductive effects of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol in the fathead minnow.
Runnalls, T.J.; Beresford, N.; Kugathas, S.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Scholze, M.; Scott, A.P.; Sumpter, J.P. Aquatic Toxicology 169,152-167. Link
(2014) Quantitative cross-species extrapolation between humans and fish: the case of the anti-depressant fluoxetine.
Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Owen S.F.; Cumming, R.I.; de Polo, A.; Winter, M.J.; Panter, G.H.; Rand-Weaver, M.; Sumpter, J.P. PLoS ONE 9 (10). Link
(2014) A new role of carbonic anhydrase II in the response of fish to copper and osmotic stress: implications for multi-stressor studies.
de Polo, A.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Lockyer, A.E.; Scrimshaw, M.D. (2014) PLoS ONE 9 (10). Link
(2014) An integrated approach for prioritizing pharmaceuticals found in the environment for risk assessment.
Caldwell, D.J.; Mastrocco, F.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Brooks, B.W. Chemosphere 115, 4-12. Link
(2014) Are some invertebrates exquisitely sensitive to the human pharmaceutical Fluoxetine?
Sumpter, J.P.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L. Aquatic Toxicology 146,259-260. Link
(2013) The Read-Across Hypothesis and Environmental Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals.
Rand-Weaver, M.; Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Patel, A.; Panter, G.H.; Owen, S.F.; Sumpter, J.P. Environmental Science and Technology 47(20),11384–11395. Link
(2013) Mode of action of human pharmaceuticals in fish: The effects of the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, dutasteride, on reproduction as a case study.
Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Hannah, R.E., Sumpter, J.P. Aquatic Toxicology 128-129,113-123. Link
(2013) Identification and quantification of 5α-dihydrotestosterone in the teleost fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
Margiotta-Casaluci, L.; Courant, F.; Antignac, J.P.; Le Bizec, B.; Sumpter, J.P. General and Comparative Endocrinology 191,202- 209. Link
(2011) Preliminary data on the influence of rearing temperature on the growth and reproductive status of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas).
Brian, J.V., Beresford, N., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Sumpter J.P. Journal of Fish Biology 79,80-88. Link
(2011) 5α-Dihydrotestosterone is a potent androgen in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).
Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Sumpter, J.P. General and Comparative Endocrinology 171,309-318. Link
(2010) Pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: steroids and anti-steroids as high priorities for research.
Runnalls, T.J.*, Margiotta-Casaluci, L.*, Kugathas, S. and Sumpter, J.P. International Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment 6,1318-1338. (*Co-first authorship). Link