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Integrating omics and advanced bioremediation technologies to address emerging environmental pollutants
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Everyday pollutants like pesticide residue, pharmaceutical waste, and microplastics build up in our environment—and eventually our bodies—because current cleanup methods can't fully break them down. This review pulls together recent research showing how scientists are combining genetic analysis tools with specially engineered microbes, fungi, and algae to detect and destroy these contaminants more precisely and efficiently. While these technologies are still developing, they point toward more effective ways to clean up the pollutants we're regularly exposed to through water, food, and air.
The ongoing release of emerging environmental contaminants (ECs) – including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, industrial solvents, nanomaterials, and microplastics – poses a significant global challenge due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Traditional remediation methods are often ineffective, leaving residues or causing secondary pollution. Bioremediation, which uses microorganisms, fungi, plants, and algae, has gained attention as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. This review emphasises how omics-driven tools – genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics – are now being integrated with advanced bioremediation systems to address these challenges. Innovative approaches such as microbial electrochemical systems (MES), nanobioremediation, and engineered microbial consortia are speeding up pollutant degradation and enabling site-specific solutions. We synthesise recent advances from 2018–2024, compare key strategies, and outline a future path where omics data, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology come together to revolutionise pollutant management. These developments demonstrate that combining omics insights with cutting-edge bioremediation technologies offers a scalable way toward sustainable environmental restoration.
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