Celebrating Excellence: 2023 Journals Best Paper Award Winners
These were republished from the July issues of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management with permission.
ET&C 2023 Best Paper
Genes-to-Pathways Species Conservation Analysis: Enabling the Exploration of Conservation of Biological Pathways and Processes Across Species
Claudia Rivetti, Jade Houghton, Danilo Basili, Geoff Hodges and Bruno Campos
The development of the Genes-to-Pathways Species Conservation Analysis (G2P-SCAN), a novel R package designed to enhance the understanding of cross-species conservation of biological pathways, is a major leap forward towards integrating computational biology approaches into safety assessments. By integrating data from multiple databases and focusing on gene orthologs, protein families, entities and reactions, G2P-SCAN offers a comprehensive tool for analyzing the conservation of biological processes across various species. This methodology supports the reduction of animal testing by enabling more accurate species extrapolation and risk assessment.
The paper’s significance lies in its potential to improve the accessibility and synthesis of genomic data, thus facilitating the application of mechanistically based data in ecological risk assessments. The authors demonstrate the utility of G2P-SCAN through five case studies, validating its effectiveness in identifying conservation and susceptibility at the pathway level across different species. This work not only advances scientific understanding but also aligns with global regulatory shifts towards new approach methodologies (NAMs), promoting the use of computational and cell-based approaches in safety assessments.
Read: The award-winning Genes-to-Pathways Species Conservation Anaylsis...paper.
IEAM 2023 Best Paper
Methods for Assessing the Bioaccumulation of Hydrocarbons and Related Substances in Terrestrial Organisms: A Critical Review
Frank A.P.C. Gobas, Yung-Shan Lee, Katharine M. Fremlin, Stephanie C. Stelmachuk and Aaron D. Redman
Identifying chemical substances with high bioaccumulation potential is crucial for regulating their environmental release and protecting ecosystems and human health. However, the methods currently used for regulatory bioaccumulation assessments are not always suitable for evaluating air-breathing organisms. To address this gap, Gobas et al. investigate and review both existing and new approaches for assessing the terrestrial bioaccumulation potential of hydrocarbons and related organic substances. Their comprehensive critical review systematically presents the merits and limitations of various approaches to bioaccumulation assessment and their relevance to current regulatory practices. To further the field, Gobas et al. propose a four-tier evaluation scheme to minimize effort and costs while expediting the bioaccumulation assessment of the vast numbers of organic substances that are manufactured and subsequently in circulation. The authors state it best, “The findings of the review are meant to help navigate a path forward for bioaccumulation assessment of substances that is better positioned to assess the bioaccumulation of hydrocarbons and related organic compounds in terrestrial wildlife.”
Read the award-winning Methods for Assessing the Bioaccumulation of Hydrocarbons...paper.