Fit Reduced GUTS Models Online: From Theory to Practice

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Risk assessment modeling
• Computational toxicology

Background:

• Mechanistic modeling, including toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) frameworks, is increasingly promoted for environmental risk assessment.
• TKTD models offer advantages over traditional dose-response models by incorporating temporal exposure and toxicity dynamics.
• The general unified threshold model of survival (GUTS) is an advanced TKTD framework but remains underutilized due to technical skill requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce MOSAIC_GUTS, a user-friendly module designed to enhance the practical application of GUTS models.
• To facilitate the use of GUTS models by environmental risk assessors, reducing the need for specialized programming skills.
• To present the key features of MOSAIC_GUTS for data uploading, GUTS fitting, and LCx estimation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new software module, MOSAIC_GUTS, integrated into the MOSAIC web platform.
• Implementation of functionalities for uploading experimental ecotoxicological data.
• Integration of GUTS model fitting algorithms and calculation of LCx estimates with uncertainty quantification.

Main Results:

• MOSAIC_GUTS provides a streamlined workflow for applying GUTS models to ecotoxicological data.
• The module enables risk assessors to perform complex analyses, including LCx estimation, with greater ease.
• Demonstration of MOSAIC_GUTS capabilities using examples from existing literature data.

Conclusions:

• The MOSAIC_GUTS module significantly lowers the barrier to entry for using advanced GUTS models in environmental risk assessment.
• Increased accessibility of GUTS modeling through MOSAIC_GUTS is expected to support the daily work of environmental risk assessors.
• This tool promotes the wider adoption of sophisticated mechanistic modeling for evaluating chemical risks.