Microbial Dynamics in Plant-Soil Systems for Environmental Rehabilitation: Mechanisms and Applications

Phytoremediation leverages plant-microbe interactions to remediate contaminated soils, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional remediation approaches. At the core of effective phytoremediation are complex rhizosphere processes where plant-associated microorganisms enhance contaminant bioavailability, transformation, and plant uptake. Recent advances in rhizosphere biology have revealed sophisticated chemical dialogues between plants and their microbial partners that can be optimized for remediation outcomes. This Research Topic focuses specifically on the microbial mechanisms that enhance phytoremediation efficiency and their applications in environmental restoration.

Understanding and optimizing microbial contributions to phytoremediation is crucial for addressing widespread soil contamination challenges. While the basic principles of phytoremediation are established, there remains a critical need to elucidate specific microbial mechanisms that enhance remediation processes and develop strategies to optimize these interactions in field applications. This Research Topic aims to bring together cutting-edge research on microbial-plant partnerships in phytoremediation, with particular emphasis on:

Elucidating molecular mechanisms of microbial enhancement of contaminant bioavailability and plant uptake
Understanding microbial transformation pathways of organic and inorganic contaminants in the rhizosphere
Investigating plant-microbe signaling that regulates remediation processes
Exploring applications of microbial inoculants and management strategies to optimize phytoremediation outcomes

By focusing specifically on the microbial components of phytoremediation systems, we seek to advance both fundamental understanding and practical applications for environmental restoration.

We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Methods, and Perspective articles addressing themes including, but not limited to:

Molecular mechanisms of microbial enhancement of metal hyperaccumulation in plants
Microbial degradation pathways of organic pollutants in the rhizosphere
Plant-growth-promoting traits of rhizobacteria that improve phytoremediation efficiency
Microbial consortia design for optimized phytoremediation performance
Environmental factors influencing microbial-plant remediation partnerships
Field applications and case studies of microbially-enhanced phytoremediation
Novel analytical approaches for studying plant-microbe interactions in contaminated soils
Integration of omics approaches with remediation outcomes to identify key microbial functions
Strategies for improving microbial establishment and activity in phytoremediation systems

This collection will create a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue among experts in environmental microbiology, plant science, and remediation technology. We anticipate that contributions will advance both the fundamental understanding of plant-microbe partnerships in remediation contexts and practical applications for restoring contaminated environments.

Please note that Microbiotechnology section does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA, 18SrRNA, ITS and other marker genes) and omics profiles.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Soil Biogeochemistry, Microbial Ecology, Environmental Pollution, Nanomaterial Applications, Ecosystem Restoration

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.