Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về sinh học được đăng trên tạp chí sinh học Journal of Biology đề tài: Genomics technology for assessing soil pollution. | Journal of Biology BioMed Central Minireview Genomics technology for assessing soil pollution Nico M van Straalen and Dick Roelofs Address Institute of Ecological Science VU University De Boelelaan 1085 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands. Correspondence Nico M van Straalen. Email Published 14 July 2008 Journal of Biology 2008 7 19 doi jbiol80 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http content 7 6 19 2008 BioMed Central Ltd Abstract Transcription and metabolite analysis is a powerful way to reveal physiological shifts in response to environmental pollution. Recent studies on earthworms including one in BMC Biology show that the type of pollution and its availability for uptake by organisms can differentially affect transcription and metabolism. Modern society emits and discharges many potentially toxic chemicals to the environment. If chemicals are not degraded quickly they tend to accumulate in soils and sediments. Soil often acts as the ultimate sink of environmental pollution because clay minerals and humic materials have a large number of surfaces chemical groups and organic particles to which pollutants can attach. Contaminated soils can pose a problem for society if agricultural functions human health or ecological systems are adversely affected. Soil is also a place of intense biological activity thanks to degradation of organic matter recycling of nutrients and synthesis of humus. The greatest amount of activity is found in the upper organic layer of the soil. Culture-independent metagenomics and modeling studies have shown that biodiversity of soil organisms is much greater than previously thought and that the soil harbors many unexplored functions and is highly sensitive to contamination 1 2 . Contaminants in soil even if they are potentially toxic pose no harm as long as they are firmly bound to the solid phase of the soil. Only the fraction that is mobile .
