Papers

The Essentials of Marine Biotechnology

This comprehensive article reviews the field of marine biotechnology, which harnesses ocean organisms for applications in medicine, food, cosmetics, agriculture, and energy. Researchers describe the enormous diversity of marine life, from microorganisms to deep-sea species, and the promising biomolecules they produce. The study outlines both the opportunities and the environmental responsibilities involved in developing products inspired by or derived from marine resources.

Nitrogen Cycling Dynamics: Investigating Volatilization and its Interplay with N2 Fixation

This paper reviews the nitrogen cycle in agricultural systems, focusing on how nitrogen moves between the atmosphere, soil, and water through biological and chemical processes. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics in agricultural soil have been shown to alter nitrogen cycling by changing microbial communities and soil chemistry. Disruptions to nitrogen cycling can affect crop growth and contribute to water pollution through nutrient runoff.

The future for Mediterranean wetlands: 50 key issues and 50 important conservation research questions

Researchers used a Delphi-style expert process to identify 50 key threats and 50 priority research questions for Mediterranean wetlands through 2050, flagging plastic pollution, dam proliferation, desalination expansion, and antimicrobial resistance as major overlooked or underappreciated challenges to wetland conservation.

From Sampling to Analysis: A Critical Review of Techniques Used in the Detection of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments

This critical review evaluates the full analytical workflow for detecting micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments, from field sampling to laboratory identification. Researchers assess the strengths and limitations of current techniques including visual sorting, spectroscopic methods, and thermal analysis. The study emphasizes the urgent need for standardized protocols across the research community to ensure that microplastic pollution data are reliable and comparable between studies.

Silent invaders of freshwater ecosystems: Unveiling the microplastic crisis threatening the world’s largest soda lake (Lake Van, Türkiye)

Aerosols as Vectors for Contaminants: A Perspective Based on Outdoor Aerosol Data from Kuwait

This review examines aerosols as vectors for contaminants in Kuwait's dust-heavy environment, highlighting how airborne particulate matter carries pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and organic compounds that pose significant health risks.

Immunoinformatics Approach to Design a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Researchers used immunoinformatics tools to design a multi-epitope vaccine candidate against cutaneous leishmaniasis, identifying ten B-cell-derived T-cell epitopes from the gp63 glycoprotein of Leishmania major with promising immunogenic properties.

Microplastic ingestion in invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki): a nationwide survey from Türkiye

Researchers conducted a nationwide survey of microplastic ingestion in 621 invasive mosquitofish across 24 freshwater sites in Turkey. They found that fibers were the dominant particle shape at 66%, with PET and polyethylene being the most common polymer types, and that fish from sites with higher anthropogenic pressure contained more microplastics. The study provides large-scale evidence that freshwater fish widely ingest microplastics, with contamination levels reflecting local human activity.

Resolving the effects of environmental micro- and nanoplastics exposure in biota: A knowledge gap analysis

This review synthesized knowledge gaps in microplastic and nanoplastic ecotoxicology through a systematic analysis of the literature, identifying the most poorly understood exposure pathways, sensitive life stages, and ecosystem types, and proposing a research priority framework to guide future investigations.

Technetium-99m labelled amine-functionalized polystyrene microplastics: An innovative approach for environmental and biological studies

Researchers radiolabelled amino-functionalized polystyrene microplastics with technetium-99m, achieving 96% labelling efficiency and strong in vitro stability in aquatic media, providing a sensitive radiotracer platform for precisely tracking microplastic distribution in environmental and biological systems.

Microplastic-induced damage in early embryonal development of sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis

Polystyrene and PMMA microplastics of various sizes were tested on sea urchin embryos from fertilization to the pluteus larval stage, causing dose-dependent developmental defects, cytogenetic abnormalities, and mitotic disruption, with sperm exposure to both plastic types also producing transmissible damage to offspring. The findings reveal significant developmental, genotoxic, and multigenerational hazards from microplastic exposure in marine invertebrates.

Polymer Chemical Identity as a Key Factor in Microplastic–Insecticide Antagonistic Effects during Embryogenesis of Sea Urchin Arbacia lixula

Researchers found that the chemical identity of microplastic polymers determines their interactive effects with insecticides during sea urchin embryo development, with polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate showing distinctly different antagonistic effects on fertilization and embryogenesis.

Microplastic ingestion in invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki): a nationwide survey from Türkiye

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in 621 invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) from 24 freshwater sites across Turkey and found microplastics present across diverse habitat types, with fibers the dominant form (66%), and contamination levels varying with anthropogenic pressure.

Ecotoxicological Risks in a Brackish Lake Ecosystem During Climate Change Scenarios: A Comprehensive Review on Lake Tudakul

This review integrates climate scenario modeling with ecotoxicological bioassay data for Lake Tudakul in Uzbekistan, projecting that warming under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios will amplify existing chemical and microplastic stressors, threatening this Ramsar-listed saline wetland.

An electrochemical detection method for polyvinyl chloride microplastics in water bodies

Occupational and Environmental Exposures: Trends in Publications, Diseases, and Experimental Models

A bibliometric analysis of occupational and environmental exposure research found that silica dust and microplastics are receiving increasing research focus, that pulmonary fibrosis is the most studied disease outcome, and that organ-on-chip technology remains underutilized despite its potential to bridge translational gaps.

Monitoring microplastics in a region with sensitive fish biodiversity: Tigris, Euphrates and Van Lake drainages in Irano-Anatolian hotspot

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in the Tigris, Euphrates, and Lake Van drainages in the biodiverse Irano-Anatolian Hotspot, characterizing MP abundance, size distribution, polymer composition, and pollution sources in both surface water and sediments.

Historically low microplastic loads within white bream (<scp><i>Blicca bjoerkna</i></scp>) in the Marmara basin, Türkiye

Examining museum-archived white bream specimens from 1963–2004 in northwest Turkey, researchers found historically low microplastic contamination—only 3.2% of 154 fish were contaminated—suggesting that pre-2000s microplastic exposure in those freshwater lakes was minimal.

Electrochemical analysis of PET microplastics and detection of elements in PET bottles

Cytogenetic and developmental toxicity of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in Arbacia lixula sea urchin embryos

Both bisphenol A and bisphenol S caused dose-dependent embryotoxicity and developmental abnormalities in sea urchin (Arbacia lixula) embryos at concentrations starting from 1 micromolar, with BPS showing similar or greater toxicity than BPA in several endpoints. The findings challenge the assumption that BPS is a safer alternative to BPA for marine ecosystems.

Mild toxicity of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate microplastics in Paracentrotus lividus early life stages

Sea urchin embryos showed little sensitivity to polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate microplastics, but sperm exposed to these particles showed decreased fertilization success and larvae ingested one polymer type more readily than the other. The findings suggest reproductive effects may occur at the sperm stage before embryo development begins.

The Chemical and Microbiological Contaminants and Safety of Mussels

This review examines the range of chemical and microbiological contaminants found in mussels, which are widely consumed seafood and serve as indicators of water quality due to their filter-feeding behavior. Contaminants of concern include heavy metals, microplastics, persistent organic pollutants, PCBs, PFAS, and various pharmaceuticals detected in contaminated coastal waters.

Abundance, characteristics, and potential ecological risks of microplastics in some commercial fish in İzmir Bay (Aegean Sea, Türkiye)

Optimization of 4,6-α and 4,3-α-Glucanotransferase Production in Lactococcus lactis and Determination of Their Effects on Some Quality Characteristics of Bakery Products

Researchers optimized the production of 4,6-alpha and 4,3-alpha-glucanotransferases expressed in Lactococcus lactis and tested their ability to reduce glycemic index and delay staling in bakery products. The enzymes successfully modified starch structure in bread formulations, demonstrating biotechnological potential for improving both nutritional and shelf-life properties of baked goods.