Microbial Synergies for Sustainable Bioremediation of Emerging Pollutants

The use of microbial communities for the bioremediation of emerging pollutants represents a dynamic and sustainable approach to tackling environmental contamination. With increasing accumulation of hazardous compounds residues in soils and sewage sludge, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) , pharmaceutical, perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microplastics, etc., conventional remediation strategies often fall short due to costs, complexity, and/or secondary pollution. Recent advances in environmental microbiology reveal that specific microbial consortia exhibit remarkable abilities to degrade recalcitrant pollutants, offering promising solutions to improve pollutant removal efficiency. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the metabolic potential of diverse microbial communities, the intricate interplay of their metabolic pathways, and how environmental variables influence their performance in contaminated environments.

This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding and application of microbial synergies in the sustainable degradation of emerging pollutants. The main goals are to identify the key microorganisms and consortia capable of breaking down complex pollutants, elucidate core metabolic and enzymatic mechanisms involved, and the degradation pathways, as well as determine how synergistic microbial interactions enhance overall bioremediation efficiency. Research investigating the optimization of these communities, whether through environmental engineering, genetic modification, or tailored nutrient amendments, is especially welcome. Additionally, studies that shed light on the interplay between environmental parameters (e.g., pH, redox potential, co-contaminant effects, etc.) and the structure or function of microbial communities will contribute to a deeper and more practical understanding of bioremediation site management.

The scope of this Research Topic includes eco-friendly bioremediation of emerging pollutants using microbial consortia in diverse environmental matrices including soils and sewage sludge. We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Methods, Data and Perspective articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Discovery and optimization of microbial communities for enhanced emerging pollutants degradation

• Functional analysis of metabolic pathways and key enzymatic processes

• Synergistic and antagonistic interactions within microbial consortia

• Influence of environmental factors (pH, redox, nutrients, co-contaminants, etc.) on microbial efficacy and community structure

• Modeling and engineering strategies for improved bioremediation processes

Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied.

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: Emerging pollutants, Microbial communities, Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceutical, perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), microplastics, microbial consortia

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.