Ecological security is an important issue that affects economic development, environmental health, social stability and national security. It is also a serious challenge for the reproduction and development of human and the well-being of the earth. The Ecological Security Research Group focus on applying the interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the ecological effects of pollution factors on ecosystem, mechanisms and processes whereby pollution factors exert their effects on ecosystem, and assessment of food and environmental safety of genetically modified crops. The research can provide reference for evaluating ecological risks of pollutant factors and developing defense strategies, and can lay the foundation for analyzing the damage mechanism and forming the technology for reducing disasters.
Ecological Security Research Group was established in 2001. Group members have been in charge of about 15 projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation Committee, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Science and Technology Department of Jiangsu Province, etc. More than 150 papers (SCI) have been published in journals of ecological security field, such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Trends in Food Science & Technology, Environmental Pollution, Chemosphere, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Aquatic Toxicology, etc. All discoveries have raised great repercussions in various disciplines, especially, our research results have been cited by distinguished environmental chemist, Martha L. Lopez-Moreno who was appointed Associated Editor of ES&T. Professor Xiaohua Huang has been invited to give oral presentation in the 13th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry (Vienna, 2007a) and Frontiers of Chemistry (France, 2010a) and report; entrusted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician to participate in the Ministry of Health Food Rare Earth Limited Standards Consultation (2011 & 2012a, Beijing). All achievements were awarded the horseradish green export certificate by the European Union, and produced one US invention patent, and three Chinese invention patents.
Current Staff:
Head of research group: Chanjuan Liang, Associate Professor
Staff: Qing Zhou, Professor
Xiaohua Huang, Professor
Lihong Wang, Associate Professor
Lihua Tao, Associate Professor
Main research area:
1. Ecological effects of pollution factors (UV-B, acid rain, heavy metals, etc.) on agricultural and urban ecosystems.
2. Mechanisms and processes whereby pollution factors exert their effects on ecosystem
3. Assessment of food and environmental safety of genetically modified crops
Research Projects:
1. Investigation on La(III) activating the endocytosis of plant through aberrant DNA methylation of adapter protein. (2016.01~2018.12) (National Natural Science Foundation Committee)
2. Investigation on mechanism and target molecule of rare earth ion activating endocytosis in the plant cell. (2014.01~2017.12) (National Natural Science Foundation Committee)
3. Effect of Ca2+ and abscisic acid on proton pump in plant exposed to acid rain. (2014.01~2014.12) (National Natural Science Foundation Committee)
4. Investigation on combined effects of acid rain and rare earth elements on the ultrastructure of chloroplast and light reaction of rice. (2012.01~2015.12) (National Natural Science Foundation Committee)
5. Response mechanism of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in crops to acid rain stress. (2011.01~2013.12) (National Natural Science Foundation Committee)
6. Adaptation of crops to irrigation contaminated with microcystin as related to nutrition uptake. (2016.07~2019.07) (Jiangsu Province)
7. Accumulation of La3+ in acidified soil and its action mechanism in horseradish cells. (2012.01~2014.12) (Jiangsu Province)
8. Toxicology of lanthanum action in plant cells in acidified soil. (2014.01~2016.12) (the Ministry of Education).
Academic Achievement:
1. Fei Shen, Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Effects of lanthanum on Microcystis aeruginosa: Attention to the changes in composition and content of cellular microcystins, Aquatic Toxicology, 2018, 196: 9~16.
2. Fan Zhang(#), Huiqing Hu(#), Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Effects of rare earth and acid rain pollution on plant chloroplast ATP synthase and element contents at different growth stages, Chemosphere, 2018, 194: 441~449.
3. Chanjuan Liang(*), Bingjie Zhang. Effect of exogenous calcium on growth, nutrients uptake and plasma membrane H+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities in soybean (Glycine max) seedlings under simulated acid rain stress. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 165, 261-269.
4. Chanjuan Liang(*), Lingrui Li, Lei Su. Effect of lanthanum on plasma membrane H+-ATPase in rice (Oryza sativa) under acid rain stress, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 2018, 37: 380-390.
5. Jiuzheng Zhu, Xiaoqian Ren, Hongyue Liu, Chanjuan Liang(*). Effect of irrigation with microcystins-contaminated water on growth and fruit quality of Cucumis sativus L. and the health risk, Agricultural Water Management, 2018, 204: 91-99.
6. Xiaoqian Ren, Jiuzheng Zhu, Hongyue Liu, Xin Xu, Chanjuan Liang(*). Response of antioxidative system in rice (Oryza sativa) leaves to simulated acid rain stress, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2018, 148: 851-856.
7. Honhyue Liu, Xiaoqian Ren, Jiuzheng Zhu, Xi Wu, Chanjuan Liang(*). Effect of exogenous abscisic acid on morphology, growth and nutrient uptake of rice (Oryza sativa) roots under simulated acid rain stress, Planta, 2018, 248: 647-659.
8. Xi Wu, Chanjuan Liang(*). Enhancing tolerance of rice (Oryza sativa) to simulated acid rain by exogenous abscisic acid, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2017, 4(5): 4860~4870
9. Bingjie zhang, Jinjin Bu, Chanjuan Liang(*). Regulation of nitrogen and phosphorus absorption by plasma membrane H+-ATPase in rice roots under simulated acid rain, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2017, 14(1): 101~112
10. Lihong Wang(#), Jingfang He(#), Qing Yang, Xiaofen Lv, Jigang Li, David D.Y. Chen, Xiaolan Ding, Xiaohua Huang(*); Qing Zhou(*). Abnormal pinocytosis and valence-variable behaviors of cerium suggested a cellular mechanism for plant yield teduction induced by environmental cerium, Environmental Pollution, 2017, 230: 902~910.
11. Fan Zhang, Mengzhu Cheng, Zhaoguo Sun, Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Combined acid rain and lanthanum pollution and its potential ecological risk for nitrogen assimilation in soybean seedling roots, Environmental Pollution, 2017, 231:524~532.
12. Liya Jiao, Hezhou Ding, Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Bisphenol A effects on the chlorophyll contents in soybean at different growth stages, Environmental Pollution, 2017, 223:426~434.
13. Binxin Xia, Zhaoguo Sun, Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Analysis of the combined effects of lanthanum and acid rain, and their mechanisms, on nitrate reductase transcription in plants, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2017, 138: 170~178.
14. Lihong Wang; Jingfang He; Qing Yang; Xiaodong Li; Haiyan Wei; David D.Y. Chen; Xiaohua Huang(*). A preliminary study on the effects of lanthanum(III) on plant vitronectin-like protein and its toxicological basis, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2017, 145: 227~234.
15. Lihong Wang; Jingfang He; Ao Xia; Mengzhu Cheng; Qing Yang; Chunlei Du; Haiyan Wei; Xiaohua Huang(*); Qing Zhou(*). Toxic effects of environmental rare earth elements on delayed outward potassium channels and their mechanisms from a microscopic perspective, Chemosphere, 2017, 181: 690~698.
16. Bingjie Zhang; Jinjin Bu; Chanjuan Liang(*). Root morphology and growth regulated by mineral nutrient absorption in rice roots exposed to simulated acid rain, Water Air and Soil Pollution, 2016, 227(12): 457~468.
17. Chanjuan Liang(*), Weimin Wang, Yu Wang. Effect of irrigation with microcystins-contaminated water on growth, yield and grain quality of rice (Oryza sativa), Environmental Earth Sciences, 2016, 75(6): 1~10.
18. Huiqing Hu, Lihong Wang, Yueli Li, Jingwen Sun, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Insight into mechanism of lanthanum (III) induced damage to plant photosynthesis, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2016, 127: 43~50.
19. Lihong Wang(#), Mengzhu Cheng(#), Yunxia Chu, Xiaodong Li, David D.Y. Chen, Xiaohua Huang(*), Qing Zhou(*). Responses of plant calmodulin to endocytosis induced by rare earth elements, Chemosphere, 2016, 154: 408~415.
20. Lijun Nie, Lihong Wang, Qingqing Wang, Shengman Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang. Effects of bisphenol A on mineral nutrition in soybean seedling roots, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2015, 34: 133~140.
21. Chanjuan Liang(*), Yuqing Ge, Lei Su, Jinjin Bu. Response of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings to simulated acid rain, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2015, 22(1): 535~545
22. Chanjuan Liang(*), Weimin Wang. Response and recovery of rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings to irrigation with microcystin-contaminated water, Environmental Earth Sciences, 2015, 73, 4573-4580.
23. Lihong Wang(#), Jigang Li(#), Qing Zhou, Guangmei Yang, Xiaolan Ding, Xiaodong Li, Chenxin Cai, Zhao Zhang, Haiyan Wei, Tianhong Lu, Xingwang Deng(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Rare earth elements activate endocytosis in plant cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014, 111(35): 12936~12941.
24. Chanjuan Liang(*), Theo W. Prins, Clemens C.M. van de Wiel, Esther J. Kok. Safety aspects of genetically modified crops with abiotic stress tolerance, Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2014, 40(1): 115~122
25. Lihong Wang, Wen Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Combined Effects of lanthanum (III) chloride and acid rain on photosynthetic parameters in rice, Chemosphere, 2014, 112: 355~361.
26. Chanjuan Liang(#), Jeroen P. van Dijk(#)(*), Ingrid M.J. Scholtens, Martijn Staats, Theo W. Prins, Marleen M. Voorhuijzen, Andrea M. da Silva, Ana Carolina Maisonnave Arisi, Johan T. den Dunnen, Esther J. Kok. Detecting authorized and unauthorized genetically modified organisms containing vip3A by real-time PCR and next-generation sequencing, Analytica land Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2014, 406(11): 2603~2611
27. Zhiyong Qiu, Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*). Effects of Bisphenol A on growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence in above-ground organs of soybean seedlings, Chemosphere, 2013, 90:1274~1280.
28. Zhaoguo Sun, Lihong Wang, Qing Zhou(*), Xiaohua Huang(*). Combined effects and mechanisms of lanthanum and acid rain on root phenotype of soybean seedlings, Chemosphere, 2013, 93: 344~352.
29. Chanjuan Liang(*), Weimin Wang. Antioxidant response of soybean seedlings to joint stress of lanthanum and acid rain, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2013, 20(11): 8182~8191
