Research themes for the Se2017 Conference

1. Selenium chemistry and geochemistry

1.1 Inorganic selenium chemistry
Chemical reactions, synthesis and characterization of inorganic selenium compound

1.2 Imaging of selenium and analytical methodologies
Novel methodologies to assess, determine and measure aspects of selenium chemistry, selenium speciation and imaging techniques

1.3 Local geological selenium sources and global cycling
Factors affecting selenium content, chemical speciation and fractionation, transport and fate, and flux measurement, identification of excessive and deficient distribution, bio-and geochemistry, and global cycling.

1.4 Relationships of selenium between soils, water, and vegetation
Selenium accumulation and factors affecting selenium bioavailability, accumulation, tolerance, including hyperaccumulators and evolutionary aspects, soil chemistry, ecology, natural accumulation, i.e., high Se-accumulating communities.

1.5 Excessive selenium accumulation from natural or anthropogenic sources and remediation technologies
Selenium pollution sources, remediation technologies.

1.6 Strategies to improve selenium accumulation and biofortification
Selection of favorable cultivars, agronomic practices, e.g. Se fertilizers and biofortification, nano-particles, soil chemistry, microbial participation, molecular and genetic engineering, Se-enriched plant, animal and fish products, societal selenium economics.

1.7. Selenium interactions with other elements in the environment
Selenium interactions with other elements, including mercury, arsenic and other heavy metal pollutants, in the environment, marine and land ecosystems.

2. Selenium in the molecular life sciences

2.2 Metabolism of selenium in living cells
Selenium metabolism in different species from microbes to human, enzyme catalyzed reactions, organismal metabolism of selenium compounds, uptake and excretion

2.3 Molecular mechanisms of selenium toxicity
Mechanisms of selenium toxicity, metabolic consequences of excessive selenium levels, toxicity of specific selenium compounds.

2.4 Molecular consequences of selenium deficiency
Biochemical studies of signaling events or metabolic consequences triggered in living cells and organisms by selenium deficiency.

2.5 Selenoprotein synthesis pathways
Studies of processes, mechanisms and molecular factors involved in synthesis of selenoproteins, including elongation factors, mRNA structures, tRNA species as well as novel methods for synthetic production of selenoproteins.

2.6 Selenoprotein genetics
Non-medical studies of selenoprotein genetics.

2.7 Selenoprotein function
Molecular studies of selenoprotein function, including enzymology, biochemical properties, structural studies and cellular functions of specific selenoproteins.

2.8 The systems biology of selenium and selenoproteins
Selenium metabolism and selenoproteins studies by methods of systems biology, such as genome wide studies, bioinformatics, proteomics.

2.9 Selenium based biotechnological applications
Novel methodologies in biotechnology based upon or involving the unique physicochemical features of selenium or selenocysteine.

2.10 Additional and emerging topics of selenium in molecular life science
Other non-medical topics of selenium and selenoproteins in molecular life sciences.

 

3. Selenium in animal and human health and disease

3.1 Selenium supplementation for animal and livestock health
Use and impact of selenium supplementation for improved animal health, including veterinary usage and maintenance of healthy livestock.

3.2 Epidemiology of selenium related health and disease
Correlations of nutritional selenium intake levels with health or disease in animals and human.

3.3 Nutritional selenium intervention studies in human
Impact of selenium supplementation trials on human disease spectra.

3.4 Selenium based medical therapeutics
Studies of selenium compounds utilized as novel therapeutics for treatment of disease in humans.

3.5 Selenium metabolism or selenoprotein function in health and disease
Animal or human studies correlating selenium metabolism or functions of selenoproteins to maintenance of healthy physiology or progression of disease.

3.6 Clinical genetics of selenium or selenoprotein-encoding genes
Human studies of genetic aberrations affecting selenium metabolism or selenoprotein-encoding genes in correlation with manifestation of disease.

3.7 Additional and emerging topics of selenium in health or disease
Other medical or veterinary topics of selenium and selenoproteins in health or disease