Recent News The science behind the pesticide that was almost banned 5 Sep 2018November 3, 2019 This post was originally published in Envirobites Last year, there was considerable news coverage on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to not ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide which is believed…
Special Topics Structure and activity 15 Aug 2018February 2, 2020 There is a reason why toxicologists love chemical structures. Because structures tell stories. And there is this cool model with a not-so-cool name that helps translate chemical goop into interesting…
Special Topics Mapping the sensitivity of multiple species 3 Aug 2018March 13, 2020 Coffee, chocolates and alcohol..how I cherish them. But a dog probably doesn't feel the same -- all these three items are poisonous to them! And this difference is the basis…
Special Topics Why we need a science-based approach to help the monarch butterflies 5 Jul 2018March 31, 2020 [This post was originally published in Students of SETAC Outreach. The work described in this article has now been published: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/etc.4672 ] I will start by acknowledging this: I am…
Recent News The impact of three insecticides on endangered species 15 Jun 2018November 3, 2019 This post was originally published in Envirobites According to the U.S. Endangered Species Act, all federal agencies must ensure that their actions do not harm the existence of endangered or…
Recent News The environmental impact of the world’s most famous weed killer 11 May 2018November 3, 2019 This post was originally published in Envirobites Weed killers are sprayed (see figures 1 and 2) to control land weeds on agricultural fields, residential lawns and golf courses. They are…
Basics of Toxicology Exposure to pollutants 19 Apr 2018February 2, 2020 The concept of exposure is well-grained in our psyche. We wash our hands after using the loo and cover our mouths while sneezing when sick. We regularly avoid falling sick…
Special Topics Biological scaling 15 Apr 2018November 3, 2019 Did you know that deer with relatively larger antlers are more aggressive? That smaller animals have relatively greater metabolic rates? Welcome to the concept of allometry (or biological scaling), which…
Special Topics Genetic resistance 24 Mar 2018November 3, 2019 When you hear the term genetic resistance, what enters your mind? Probably antibiotic resistant bacteria which are one of the biggest emerging concerns for health professionals. Or you probably heard…
Basics of Toxicology Tracking pollutants indirectly 2 Mar 2018February 9, 2020 Imagine you are Sherlock Holmes. You have a case to solve. You need to find out if a population of species is exposed to a pollutant without directly looking for…
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants move through us 3 Feb 2018February 9, 2020 First, let's learn a new term -- xenobiotic. A xenobiotic is a compound that is foreign to an organism, i.e., it does not play a role in the organism's normal…
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants move through the environment 28 Jan 2018November 3, 2019 Toxicologists love chemical structures because structures tell a lot about a chemical, just like genes tell a lot about a person. And chemicals, like people, are also shaped by the…
