Globally, environmental pollution has increased due to intensive anthropogenic activities along with the emergence of new materials and compounds that were previously not seen in nature. The combination of increased and novel pollutants impairs the ability of microorganisms for biodegradation as respective enzymes and biochemical pathways are either not optimized or simply do not exist. Previously published research in microbes-based approaches have included water/soil bioremediation, wastes management & utilization, bioenergy generation, (waste)water treatment, and agriculture development. Recently, scientists have been working to understand and upgrade naturally available processes for environmental sustainability.
Microbes are present and abundant in extreme environments under various stress conditions. The key to the survival of these microbes lies in their genome. The investigation of such valuable information can improve the bioremediation process and value-added compounds generation. The detailed genomic information of microbes, their modification on the molecular level, the combination of microbial communities, and integration of technologies would improve pollutant degradation efficiency (solid waste management and wastewater treatment), enable bioremediation of novel materials, and facilitate the generation of bioenergy (bioethanol, biomethane, etc.).
The occurrence of emerging xenobiotics and diverse contaminants along with the lack of in-depth information about microbial processes are the major obstacles in the application of bioremediation approaches. There is an urgent need for more research to explore different ecosystems to 1) find microbes with potential activities; 2) understand the microbial behavior in various environments (such as anaerobic digesters, fermenters, and waste treatments plants); 3) integrate various technologies to improve the microbes’ productivity, and 4) mediate zero-waste approaches via microorganisms for sustainable environmental development.
In this Research Topic, we intend to gather recent research work and critical reviews in the field of Environmental Microbiology & Bioenergy especially on the interactions of microbial entities during bioenergy production. The presented work must feature a clearly phrased hypothesis that is then tested and investigated for predicted underlying biological mechanisms. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Screening of diverse ecosystems (water and soil) for potential microbes to improve environmental remediation and bioenergy production.
2. Complete microbial conversion of waste/biomass towards the zero-waste approach.
3. Fermentation processes up-gradation via co-culturing, bio-stimulation, and technology innovation.
4. Rational designs in microbial metabolic networks in mono- and co-digestion for biomethanation.
5. Application of novel molecular-based techniques, changes in microbial communities, and functional genomics and/or proteomics for improved bioproducts yield.
Globally, environmental pollution has increased due to intensive anthropogenic activities along with the emergence of new materials and compounds that were previously not seen in nature. The combination of increased and novel pollutants impairs the ability of microorganisms for biodegradation as respective enzymes and biochemical pathways are either not optimized or simply do not exist. Previously published research in microbes-based approaches have included water/soil bioremediation, wastes management & utilization, bioenergy generation, (waste)water treatment, and agriculture development. Recently, scientists have been working to understand and upgrade naturally available processes for environmental sustainability.
Microbes are present and abundant in extreme environments under various stress conditions. The key to the survival of these microbes lies in their genome. The investigation of such valuable information can improve the bioremediation process and value-added compounds generation. The detailed genomic information of microbes, their modification on the molecular level, the combination of microbial communities, and integration of technologies would improve pollutant degradation efficiency (solid waste management and wastewater treatment), enable bioremediation of novel materials, and facilitate the generation of bioenergy (bioethanol, biomethane, etc.).
The occurrence of emerging xenobiotics and diverse contaminants along with the lack of in-depth information about microbial processes are the major obstacles in the application of bioremediation approaches. There is an urgent need for more research to explore different ecosystems to 1) find microbes with potential activities; 2) understand the microbial behavior in various environments (such as anaerobic digesters, fermenters, and waste treatments plants); 3) integrate various technologies to improve the microbes’ productivity, and 4) mediate zero-waste approaches via microorganisms for sustainable environmental development.
In this Research Topic, we intend to gather recent research work and critical reviews in the field of Environmental Microbiology & Bioenergy especially on the interactions of microbial entities during bioenergy production. The presented work must feature a clearly phrased hypothesis that is then tested and investigated for predicted underlying biological mechanisms. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Screening of diverse ecosystems (water and soil) for potential microbes to improve environmental remediation and bioenergy production.
2. Complete microbial conversion of waste/biomass towards the zero-waste approach.
3. Fermentation processes up-gradation via co-culturing, bio-stimulation, and technology innovation.
4. Rational designs in microbial metabolic networks in mono- and co-digestion for biomethanation.
5. Application of novel molecular-based techniques, changes in microbial communities, and functional genomics and/or proteomics for improved bioproducts yield.