• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.202-207
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• 2010

The most useful criteria and selection procedures of biological indicators have been developed in Korea because they have taken into account local and national concerns on biological responses against climate change. On the basis of these criteria and selection procedures, 100 climate-sensitive biological indicator species were selected to predict biodiversity distribution shift by climate change and manage biological resources integratedly at the national level. It is expected that selection and monitoring of biological indicators by climate change will provide significant information to prepare protective strategies of vulnerable species against climate change and adaptive policies under the changing environment in Korea. In this paper, we have reviewed what kinds of criteria were considered in selecting bioindicators to assess responses of biological organisms against climate change. Definition and selection steps of bioindicators were proposed, and the 100 species of climate- sensitive biological indicators were selected out of 33,253 taxa reported in Korea.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.219-240
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• 2008

This paper aims to suggest a policy for biological resource based on a comprehensive understanding on biological resources. Biological resources are different from traditionally recognized viable organisms (Biodiversity) in ecosystems. Biological resources are culturable and replicable resources of living organisms such as tissues, cells and genes. Moreover, biological resources include human-derived biological materials. Biological resources is not simply a matter of science and technology. Biological resources should be dealt with as national resources. There are many international issues regarding biological resources, such as intellectual property rights (IPRs), safety on handling and distribution, material transfer agreements (MTAs) for mutual benefits and biological standards. Ethical debates are also being raised because biological resources are related with human-derived biological materials. Every nation has tendency to adopt its government policies to strengthen its sovereignty on biological resources and international cooperation. In addition, international linkages are essential for providing enhanced worldwide accessibility to biological resources. Japan has shown several international initiatives in the field of biological resources. Korea has just begun to design appropriate policies for the use and R&D of biological resources. Therefore, this paper suggests the following needs: 1) policy at the national level beyond the interests of researchers, 2) inter-ministerial coordination across government ministries, 3) expansion of scope and size of each BRC (Biological Resource Centers), and 4) building networks and systems such as national information center, representative centers by field, and each BRC.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.26-39
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate cognitions of elementary school students of the biological resources. Subjects were 252 elementary school students in Seoul and Busan. An instrument that measures cognitions consists of 3 components: kinds of biological and non-biological resources, values of biological resources and interest of using biological resources. The three components were composed of 46 items. They had less cognition of living things than non-biological resources as resources. But, most of them conceived ecological environment to be resources. Almost 80% elementary school students thought that biological resources had values contributing to the existence and health of human beings, but less economic values except ecological values. They had cognition of biological resources which we should manage and research in. It is time to need the educational approach to integrate nature, economy and environment in environmental education. As concrete cases of biological resources are proposed, it activate elementary school students to get cognition of biological resources. In conclusion, values of biological resources will be materials for environmental education.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.143-157
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• 2024

As part of the research program "Freshwater Prokaryotic Organisms Research and Discovery," freshwater samples were collected from the Nakdonggang River. After plating the samples on several culture media and incubating aerobically, approximately 900 bacterial strains were isolated and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequences. Among the bacterial isolates showing higher than 98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with those of already confirmed bacterial species previously unreported in Korea, 29 strains were selected. These strains were phylogenetically diverse and belonged to 3 phyla, 6 classes, 13 orders, and 21 genera. At the genus level, these previously unreported species were found to be affiliated with Novosphingobium, Sphingomonas, Polymorphobacter, Croceibacterium, Devosia, Endobacterium, Agaricicola, Bradyrhizobium, Paracoccus, and Pseudotabrizicola of the class Alphaproteobacteria; Undibacterium, Azonexus, and Dechloromonas of the class Betaproteobacteria; Acinetobacter and Budvicia of the class Gammaproteobacteria; Streptomyces, Nocardioides, Mycobacterium, and Cellulomonas of the phylum Actinomycetota; Flavobacterium and Pedobacter of the phylum Bacteroidota. These species were further characterized by examining their Gram reaction, colony and cell morphologies, biochemical properties, and phylogenetic positions. Detailed descriptions of these 29 previously unreported species are provided.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.292-303
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• 2022

Background: Climate change significantly influences the geographical distribution of plant species worldwide. Selecting indicator species allows for better-informed and more effective ecosystem management in response to climate change. The Korean Peninsula is the northernmost distribution zone of warm temperate evergreen broad-leaved (WTEB) species in Northeast Asia. Considering the ecological value of these species, we evaluated the current distribution range and future suitable habitat for 13 WTEB tree species designated as climate-sensitive biological indicator species. Results: Up-to-date and accurate WTEB species distribution maps were constructed using herbarium specimens and citizen science data from the Korea Biodiversity Observation Network. Current northern limits for several species have shifted to higher latitudes compared to previous records. For example, the northern latitude limit for Stauntonia hexaphylla is higher (37° 02' N, Deokjeokdo archipelago) than that reported previously (36° 13' N). The minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6) is the major factor influencing species distribution. Under future climate change scenarios, suitable habitats are predicted to expand toward higher latitudes inland and along the western coastal areas. Conclusions: Our results support the suitability of WTEB trees as significant biological indicators of species' responses to warming. The findings also suggest the need for consistent monitoring of species distribution shifts. This study provides an important baseline dataset for future monitoring and management of indicator species' responses to changing climate conditions in South Korea.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.spc
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• pp.172-176
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• 2017

In this list-format paper, we present unrecorded species of Korean ciliates (phylum Ciliophora). All species were selected from the final reports of the project: "Discovery of Korean Indigenous Species". This project has been carried out to discover and record various Korean indigenous species since 2006 and is funded by the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR). Among the various species, ciliates were a major taxon that was highlighted in this project as a speciose group categorized under Protozoa. This paper contains reports of 38 ciliates (8 classes, 16 orders, 23 families, and 34 genera) observed in Korea during the initial five years of the project (2006-2010).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.207-218
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• 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis and high metastasis and recurrence rates. Although extracts of Alnus hirsuta (Turcz. ex Spach) Rupr. (AH) have been demonstrated to possess potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities, the underlying mechanism of AH in HCC treatment remains to be elucidated. We investigated the effects and potential mechanisms of AH on migration and invasion of Hep3B cells. Within the non-cytotoxic concentration range, AH significantly inhibited motility and invasiveness of Hep3B cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Inhibitory effects of AH on cell invasiveness are associated with tightening of tight junctions (TJs), as demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance. Immunoblotting indicated that AH decreased levels of claudins, which form major components of TJs and play key roles in the control and selectivity of paracellular transport. Furthermore, AH inhibited the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 and simultaneously increased the levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2. These effects were related to inactivation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway in Hep3B cells. Therefore, AH inhibits migration and invasion of Hep3B cells by inhibiting the activity of MMPs and tightening TJs through suppression of claudin expression, possibly by suppressing the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.261-263
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• 2016

In 2012, the NIBR started publishing the Journal of Species Research (JSR) as an international specialized journal of biological taxonomy focusing on taxonomic research. JSR Volume 5 Number 3, to be published in October 2016, has been planned as a 'Special Edition on New and Unrecorded Species of Invertebrates in Korea', and so it consists of the reports of 149 new and unrecorded invertebrate species (including protozoa) discovered in Korea. In future, the JSR should further accelerate the use of such methods to generate valid data for new species and effectively support the compilation of 'National List of Species of Korea'. In this way, it will contribute significantly to enrich for biodiversity in Korea.

• Mycobiology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 2018

Two new records of Trichocomaceae, namely Aspergillus allahabadii and Penicillium sizovae, were isolated in 2016 during a survey of fungal diversity in different crop fields locations in Gyeongnam, Korea. These species were identified based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using internal transcribed spacer region and ${\beta}-tubulin$-encoding gene sequence data. A. allahabadii and P. sizovae have not yet been reported in Korea. Thus, this is the first report of these species in Korea, and their descriptions as well as details of their morphological characters are presented.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2023

In 2022, research for native prokaryotic species in Korea reported 10 unrecorded bacterial strains affiliated to phyla Actinomycetota, Bacillota, and Pseudomonadota. The strains formed monophyletic clades with the most closely related species (with ≥98.7% sequence similarity) in the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among them, four species of the phylum Actinomycetota, two species of the phylum Bacillota, and four species of the phylum Pseudomonadota have not been reported in Korea, suggesting unrecorded species in Korea. Information on strains such as Gram staining reaction, colony and cell morphology, biochemical characteristics, and isolation sources were provided in the species description.