Microbial Implications in Metabolism and Utilization of Emerging Contaminants and Eutrophic Elements in Soil and Water: Multidisciplinary Methodological Approaches

Microbes, which constitute the most ancient, abundant, and prominent biological entities in the global ecosystem, play a critical role in biogeochemical processes, element cycling, energy exchange, and even the ecological balance and sustainable development of Earth. In association with the increasing intensification of anthropogenic activities, microbes have assumed the ecological primacy in environmental protection. Today the ecological issues relevant to the occurrence of emerging contaminants and the substantial release of eutrophic nitrogen/phosphorus elements from agro-fertilizers are of concern. The microbes bear significant implications in the elimination of ecological risks of emerging contaminants and eutrophic elements in soil and water.

Microbial implications are commonly recognized in ecological services. Undeniably, the massive and widespread distribution of emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, micro-/nano-plastics, and plastic additives and the excessive release of nutrient elements pose formidable challenges and stresses to microbes. When microbes are confronted with the threats from the emerging pollutants and eutrophic elements, how they respond through adaptive evolution and improve their viability and diversity is of great interest. Within the context of this Research Topic, the original, innovative, and experimentally/theoretically/methodologically oriented studies on microbial utilization and biotransformation of emerging contaminants and eutrophic elements have been purposively integrated in order to refresh our knowledge about microbial services in maintaining ecological balance and ensuring ecological safety.

The studies conducted with an emphasis on the syntrophic and symbiotic relationships of microbiota, microbial processes, novel isolations of microbes, directionally engineered bacteria, bioavailability and toxicological responses to the emerging contaminants and eutrophic elements shall fall within the scope of this Research Topic. Also, microbial genetically/enzymatically mediated regulatory mechanisms, genetic and transcriptional expression pathways are highly anticipated at the level of molecular biology. The long-term monitoring studies, in situ investigation and meta-analysis of spatial-temporal variation of microflora and microbial contribution to the biogeochemical cycling of C/N, carbon sink, nitrification and denitrification are equally welcome. The leading-edge techniques, multi-scaled computation science and multidisciplinary methodological approaches are particularly stressed overall. However, the studies that lack a solid body of experimental evidence or theoretical validation for the microbial process and function are not currently considered in the Research Topic. Technically, the submission of manuscripts as full-length research papers, original reviews, novel methods and perspectives, etc., are all acceptable.

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
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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: emerging contaminants, eutrophic elements, microbial biotransformation, metabolic kinetics, enzyme regulation, biogeochemical cycling, multi-omics approaches, in vitro/in silico testing models.

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.