Jason Unrine was a postdoctoral fellow in the Hopkins’ laboratory at SREL from 2004-2006, working in conjunction with Drs. Chris Romanek and Brian Jackson. While working with the Hopkins Lab, Jason combined novel analytical techniques for trace-element speciation with stable-isotope techniques to elucidate mechanisms governing trophic transfer and effects of selenium and other trace-elements.

Dr. Unrine is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky and continues to be a valuable collaborator with Dr. Hopkins and his students.

According to his website, “My research group investigates the environmental fate, transport and ecotoxicology of trace-elements and engineered nanomaterials. Much of our research focuses on the transformations and impacts of trace-elements and nanomaterials in terrestrial and wetland environments. We have developed tools that utilize advanced analytical, imaging and spectroscopic techniques to investigate the environmental transformations, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and maternal transfer of these contaminants. We relate this information to adverse organismal effects with population level relevance.”

More about Dr. Unrine’s research at UK 

Dr. Jason Unrine

Representative Publications

D. L. Starnes, Unrine, J. M. , Starnes, C. P. , Collin, B. E. , Oostveen, E. K. , Ma, R. , Lowry, G. V. , Bertsch, P. M. , and Tsyusko, O. V. , “Impact of sulfidation on the bioavailability and toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Caenorhabditis elegans”, Environmental Pollution, vol. 196, pp. 239 – 246, 2015.

C. Chen, Unrine, J. M. , Judy, J. D. , Lewis, R. W. , Guo, J. , McNear, D. H. , and Tsyusko, O. V. , “Toxicogenomic Responses of the Model Legume Medicago truncatula to Aged Biosolids Containing a Mixture of Nanomaterials (TiO2, Ag, and ZnO) from a Pilot Wastewater Treatment Plant”, Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 49, no. 14, pp. 8759 – 8768, 2015.

L. F. Baker, King, R. S. , Unrine, J. M. , Castellon, B. T. , Lowry, G. V. , and Matson, C. W. , “Press or pulse exposures determine the environmental fate of cerium nanoparticles in stream mesocosms”, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 35, pp. 1213–1223, 2016.

C. O. Hendren, Lowry, G. V. , Unrine, J. M. , and Wiesner, M. R. , “A functional assay-based strategy for nanomaterial risk forecasting”, Science of The Total Environment, 2015.

D. L. Starnes, Unrine, J. M. , Starnes, C. P. , Collin, B. E. , Oostveen, E. K. , Ma, R. , Lowry, G. V. , Bertsch, P. M. , and Tsyusko, O. V. , “Impact of sulfidation on the bioavailability and toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Caenorhabditis elegans”, Environmental Pollution, vol. 196, pp. 239 – 246, 2015.

Bryan, A.L., Jr., W.A. Hopkins, J.H. Parikh, B.P. Jackson, and J.M. Unrine. 2012. Coal Fly Ash Basins as an Attractive Nuisance to Birds: Parental Provisioning Exposes Nestlings to Harmful Trace Elements. Environmental Pollution. 161: 170-177.

Unrine JM, Colman BP, Bone AJ, Gondikas AP, Matson CW. 2012. Biotic and Abiotic Interactions in Aquatic Microcosms Determine Fate and Toxicity of Ag Nanoparticles: Part 1 – Aggregation and Dissolution. Environmental Science and Technology 46: 6915-6924.

Bergeron, Christine, Hopkins, William, Todd, Brian, Hepner, Mark, Unrine, Jason. 2011. Interactive effects of maternal and dietary mercury exposure have latent and lethal consequences for amphibian larvae. Environmental Science and Technology. 45: 3781-3787.

C. M. Bergeron, W. A. Hopkins, C. M. Bodinof, S. A. Budischak, H. Wada, and J. M. Unrine 2011. Counterbalancing effects of maternal mercury exposure during different stages of early ontogeny. Science of the Total Environment 409:4746-4752.

Bergeron, C.M., Bodinof, C.M., Unrine J.M., Hopkins, WA 2010. Bioaccumulation and maternal transfer of mercury and selenium in amphibians Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29: 989-997.

Bergeron, C.M., Bodinof, C.M., Unrine, JM, Hopkins, WA 2010. Mercury accumulation along a contamination gradient and nondestructive indices of bioaccumulation in amphibians Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29: 980-988.

Hopkins W, Hopkins L, Unrine J, Snodgrass J, Elliot J. 2007. Mercury concentrations in tissues of osprey from the coastal Carolinas, USA. Journal of Wildlife Management 71(6):1819-1829.

Unrine J.M., Jackson, B.P., and Hopkins, W.A., 2007. Selenomethionine biotransformation and incorporation into proteins along a simulated terrestrial food chain. Environmental Science and Technology 41:3601-3606.

Unrine, J.M., Hopkins, W. A., Romanek, C.S., and Jackson B.P., 2007. Bioaccumulation of trace elements in omnivorous amphibian larvae: Implications for amphibian health and contaminant transport. Environmental Pollution 149: 182-192.

Unrine, J.M., Jackson, B.P., Hopkins, W.A., and Romanek, C.S., 2006. Isolation and partial characterization of proteins involved in maternal transfer of selenium in the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25 (7): 1864-1867.