Special Issue "Advances in Environmental Biology"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Ming Hung Wong
Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Website: http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~biol/mhwong.htm
E-Mail: mhwong@hkbu.edu.hk
Interests: restoration of contaminated lands; bioconversion of organic wastes; environmental and human health risk assessment

Dear Colleagues,

The impacts of human activities on the environment have been accelerated during the past decades, due to rapid population growth, urbanization and industrialization, without due regard to environmental protection. This special issue is dedicated to all aspects of environmental biology, which include review and research articles related to environmental pollution, environmental biotechnology, environmental conservation, environmental toxicology, public health and safety, environmental education, environmental restoration, etc.

In particular, major emphasis will be paid on emerging chemicals, e.g., flame retardants and pharmaceutical products which have found their way into human bodies upon their release into our environment, through bioaccumulation, biomagnification in food chains and food webs, and ending up with rather high concentrations in our food items, especially in large predatory fish such as tuna and sword fish. Novel biological and molecular techniques are essential for rapid and accurate screening and toxicity assessment; and effective bioremediation and phytoremedation techniques are also needed for treating waste materials as well as the sustainable restoration of contaminated sites.

This special issue will deal with review and research articles covering the general aspects as well as recent advances in various disciplines of environmental biology, which will be of interest to environmental scientists, toxicologists, microbiologists, biotechnologists, and others who are engaged in environmental and public health research and consultations.

Prof. Dr. Ming Hung Wong
Guest Editor

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed Open Access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs).

• environmental pollution
• environmental biotechnology
• environmental conservation
• environmental toxicology
• public health and safety
• environmental education
• environmental restoration

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Systemic and Developmental Effects of Neurotoxic Insecticidies
Authors: Carla Falugi¹, Chiara Guida², Maria Grazia Aluigi¹ and Ezio Fulcheri²
Affiliations: ¹ Dipartimento di Biologia (DIBIO), Università di Genova, Italy; E-Mail: carlafalugi@hotmail.it (C.F.)
² Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Diagnostiche Integrate (DISC), Università di Genova, Italy
Abstract: Molecules belonging to the cholinergic system have been found associated to non-neuromuscular systems during a number of spatial and temporal windows in which cell-to-cell communication is predominant. Cell to cell communication and cholinergic molecules are often related to differentiation, but also to other relevant functions in adult tissues, such as wound healing and the switch between cell proliferation and apoptosis. The function of the molecules in the single events have often been hypothesised from their localisation in cells and tissues undergoing induction or differentiation, but very often their function was understood by bioassays, checking the effects of inhibition or enhancement of their function. This opens the way to a new way of regarding to organophosphorus and carbamate toxicity, by experiments carried out by use of a number of models from invertebrate embryos to human differentiating cells. All the used models are compatible with the National and International bioethical laws and feelings.