Topics

Papers are welcomed in the following research fields:

 I. Chemical Sciences

Chemistry provides the molecular-level foundation for understanding both life and the environment.

• Fundamentals of Matter & Energy

  • General/Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Chemical Kinetics, Quantum Mechanics, Spectroscopy (NMR, UV-Vis, IR).

  • Analytical Chemistry: Separation Techniques (Chromatography, Electrophoresis), Mass Spectrometry, Sensors and Electrochemical Methods.

• Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

  • Organic Synthesis: Reaction Mechanisms, Stereochemistry, Functional Group Transformations.

  • Organometallic Chemistry: Catalysis, Metal-Ligand Interactions.

  • Materials Chemistry: Polymers, Ceramics, Composite Materials, Bio-based Materials (e.g., lignin, cellulose).

• Chemical Biology & Nanotechnology

  • Chemical Biology: Principles of $\text{p}H$ and $\text{p}E$, Chemical Probes, Drug Design, Receptor Binding.

  • Nanomaterials: Synthesis and characterization of Environmental Nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), Quantum Dots).

  • Green Chemistry: Principles of sustainable synthesis, Solvent-free reactions, Atom Economy.

 II. Biological Sciences

Biology examines living organisms, their internal processes, and their interactions, ranging from genes to ecosystems.

• Molecular and Cell Biology

  • Biochemistry: Protein Structure and Function, Enzyme Kinetics, Metabolism (Glycolysis, TCA Cycle).

  • Genetics: Molecular Genetics, Gene Expression, $\text{DNA}$ and $\text{RNA}$ structure, Genomics.

  • Microbiology: Microbial Diversity, Microbial Ecology, Microbial Metabolism, Pathogen-Host Interactions.

• Organismal and Systems Biology

  • Physiology: Principles of human/animal/plant function, Homeostasis, Neurobiology, Plant $\text{CO}_2$ Fixation.

  • Toxicology: Principles of environmental toxicology, $\text{Dose-Response}$ relationships, Ecotoxicology, Bioaccumulation.

  • Synthetic Biology: Genetic Engineering, Design of Engineered Microorganisms for environmental or industrial purposes.

• Ecology and Evolution

  • Ecology: Population Dynamics, Community Ecology, Trophic Interactions (Food Webs), Ecosystem Structure and Function.

  • Evolutionary Biology: Natural Selection, Speciation, Adaptive Evolution in response to environmental change.

  • Biodiversity: Conservation Genetics, Invasive Species, Ecosystem Services.

III. Environmental Sciences 

This field integrates chemistry and biology with earth and physical sciences to study environmental problems and solutions.

• Environmental Chemistry & Pollution

  • Atmospheric Chemistry: Ozone Depletion ($\text{CFCs}$), Photochemical Smog, Acid Rain, Aerosols and Particulate Matter ($\text{PM}_{2.5}$).

  • Water Chemistry: Solubility of gases/minerals, $\text{DO}$, $\text{BOD}$, $\text{COD}$, Heavy Metals and Chelation, $\text{pH}$ and Alkalinity.

  • Emerging Contaminants (ECs): Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products ($\text{PPCPs}$), $\text{PFAS}$ (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and Microplastics.

• Earth Systems and Hydrology

  • Geosciences: Rock and Mineral Cycles, Weathering, Soil Chemistry and Physics, Plate Tectonics.

  • Hydrology: Hydrological Cycle, Groundwater Flow (Darcy's Law), Surface Water Runoff, Water Resource Management.

  • Climate Change Science: Greenhouse Gas ($\text{GHG}$) cycling, Climate Modeling, Paleoclimatology.

• Environmental Technology & Management

  • Pollution Control: Wastewater Treatment (Biological, Chemical, Physical methods), Air Pollution Control Devices (Scrubbers, Filters).

  • Waste Management: Solid Waste Management, Landfill Design, Waste Valorization (Waste-to-Energy/Chemicals).

  • Bioremediation: Using microbes or plants (Phytoremediation) to degrade pollutants.

IV. Interdisciplinary & Emerging Fields

These topics sit at the intersection of the three core domains and represent cutting-edge research.

• Biogeochemical Cycles:

  • Carbon Cycle: Sources and sinks, CO2 sequestration, Ocean Acidification.

  • Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles: Eutrophication, Fertilizer runoff, Denitrification.

• Environmental Biotechnology

  • Synthetic Biology for Remediation: Designing organisms to sense and degrade specific pollutants.

  • Biosensors: Using biological components (proteins, DNA for environmental monitoring and detection.

  • Bioenergy: Algal Biofuels, Biomass conversion, Bioelectrochemical Systems.

• The Nexus Approach

  • Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Integrated management and trade-offs between these interdependent resources.

  • Built Environment Microbiology: Studying the microbiome of buildings and its impact on human health and energy use.

• Data Science for Science

  • Environmental Modeling: Developing computational models to predict pollutant transport, climate change, and ecological shifts.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI-guided catalyst discovery,AI for species monitoring and conservation.