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QUICKLINKS
• Env. Toxicology 2008
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ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
Environmental Toxicology is a science where environmental toxicologists collaborate with other disciplines such as environmentalists, chemists, and ecologists.
It is focuses on studying the chemicals around us, their hazardous effects on ecological species of concern, including humans. The assessment of chemical toxicity and their impacts in the environment is complicated due to the presence of chemical cocktails in the environment and the interactive effects between individual chemicals present and the range of effects they can initiate. Possible impacts of exposure to chemicals include genotoxicity, mutagenicity and immunotoxicity.
The Environmental Toxicology section's main interests are :
- The advancement of scientific knowledge in this arena through cutting-edge research;
- Applying scientific knowledge, innovative solutions, and expertise in resolving environmental problems;
- The adoption of in vitro testing rather than using animals;
- Forming future environmental toxicologists;
- Communicating and increasing community knowledge of environmental toxicology.
| RESEARCH DIRECTIONS Environmental Toxicology The Environmental Toxicology section currently has research student openings in the research topics listed below. Any people interest in taking up PhD or Masters by Research degrees should contact Dr. Christian Khalil. Inquiries on these or similar or related projects are always welcome. - The development and validation of new techniques for rapid assessment of contaminated water cytotoxicity using a range of in vitro assays.
- The validation of in vitro toxicity assays results with other ecological tests with respect to metal toxicity determination in soils/water samples.
- The development and validation of new in vitro models for predicting the impact of low doses of chemical mixtures on the health of a simplified ecosystem.
- The refinement of the techniques and methods used in the extrapolation of experimental data to testing of real ecosystems.
- The validity of extrapolating such results from a controlled environment to an open ecosystem.
- The usefulness of using transgenic cells (or organisms with promoters) for detecting stress caused by a chemical sample or pollutant.
- Comparison of Ames test results with other cell lines upon chemical exposure.
- The development of an integrated approach for comparatively assessing chemical impacts on steroids levels, egg production, fertilization, and hatching rates in a fish population.
- The development of new assays for assessing the toxic effects of chemical mixtures and the comparison to single compound published data.
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Cell Biologist / Environmental Scientist
- The development of quantitative statistical models based on biomarkers endpoints to predict future contamination scenarios.
- Comparison between quantitative human risk assessment and microbial risk assessments and their application in biological control agents.
- The application of mammalian cells in screening environmental stressors.
- The application of environmental risk assessment for determining soil quality.
- The similarities/differences between state environmental law/ Commonwealth Law and international law using a case study approach.
- The application of an Environmental Management System to Small and Medium enterprises in Australia
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