• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.166-166
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• 2005

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 2006

In this study we attempted to develop a novel genomic method to selectively isolate target functional microbial genomes from environmental samples. For this purpose, stable isotope probing (SIP) was applied in selectively isolating organic pollutant-assimilating populations. When soil microbes were fed with $^{13}C-labeled $ biphenyl, biphenyl-utilizing cells were incorporated with the heavy carbon isotope. The heavy DNA portion was successfully separated by CsCl equilibrium density gradient. And the diversity in the heavy DNA was sufficiently reduced, being suitable for the current DNA microarray techniques to detect biphenyl-utilizing populations in the soil. In addition, we proposed a new way to get more genetic information by combining this SIP method with selective metagenomic approach. The increased selective power of these new DNA isolation methods will be expected to provide a good quality of new genetic information, which, in turn, will result in development of a variety of biomarkers that may be used in assessing ecotoxicology issues including the impacts of organic hazards, and antibiotic-resistant pathogens on human and ecological systems.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2010

Monitoring toxicity levels in specific biological compartments is necessary to evaluate the ecotoxicological risk associated with soil environmental pollution. Gene expression, as potential biomarker, is increasingly used as rapid early warning systems in environmental monitoring and ecological risk assessment procedures. Various representative species are currently used for the purpose of assessing soil toxicity, however, investigations on toxicological assessments using endpoint based on gene-level have been limited. In this review, we will present the current trends in organisms and endpoints used in soil toxicity study and report gene expression related to toxicity using soil organism, and C. elegans as promising organisms for this approach.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 2008

In this study, three different sizes of cerium oxide ($CeO_2$) nanoparticles were synthesized and exposed to Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the potential harmful effect of $CeO_2$ nanoparticles on the environment. The effects of the $CeO_2$ nanoparticles on C. elegans were assessed at multiple levels, such as with respect to stress response gene expression, growth, reproduction and mortality. Moreover, to test the ecotoxicological relevance of $CeO_2$-induced gene expression. The overall results suggest that $CeO_2$ nanoparticles may provoke ecotoxicity in C. elegans especially with respect to gene expression, reproduction and survival, which can comprise an important contribution to knowledge on the ecotoxicity of $CeO_2$ nanoparticles, about which little data are available. This is particularly valuable in the biomarker research on ecotoxicology, as ecological relevance is a crucial criterion for the applicability of the biomarker in field biomonitoring and ecological risk assessment.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2001

Some phenomena in which insects can demonstrate environmental changes by xenobiotics are easily and simply evaluated. On this regard, general guidelines for environmental studies using insects as biomarkers which determine the effects of such changes are suggested. Insects include three-quaters of all living animal species. This diversity comprises many closely related species which may respond sole to environmental changes by xenobiotics. Insects have been used for assessing adverse effects of environmental changes by xenobiotics, especially pesticides. Collembolan species are widely used as physiological and behavioral biomarkers for the assessment of adverse effects caused by pesticides on soil environment. This review aims to evaluate tile possible use of Korean Collembolan species based upon their response to environmental changes in Korean soil mainly caused by pesticides for crop protection.