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A critical review on advanced molecular tools for bioremediation
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This critical review examined advanced molecular tools being developed for bioremediation of environmental pollutants, including microplastics, pesticides, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds. The study highlights how emerging genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic techniques are improving the effectiveness of biological approaches to breaking down persistent contaminants in the environment.
Acceleration in environmental pollution driven by rapid industrialisation and urbanisation is burdening the ecosystem with various hazardous waste and effluents. Improper waste disposal practices have introduced various pollutants, including plastics, pesticides, heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), into atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic environments, thereby affecting agriculture, biodiversity, and human health. Acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, developmental toxicity, cardiovascular dysfunction, endocrine disruption, and nervous system damage are the major complications caused by environmental pollutants. The limitations of conventional chemical treatment methods highlight the need for biology-based alternatives. Being a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution, bioremediation utilises potential microbes to decontaminate the environment. Conventional bioremediation techniques, although efficient, have foundered in the complete elimination of pollutants, highlighting the need for a molecular approach for total mitigation. In this review, we have highlighted modern molecular techniques, such as Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), Transcription Activator-like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), that have revolutionised the process, facilitated efficient removal and promoted environmental sustainability. This review advances the field by framing bioremediation within contemporary global challenges such as heavy metal toxicity, microplastic accumulation, and pesticide persistence, and by emphasising iterative refinements through computationally derived gene delivery models that offer targeted, ecologically safer alternatives to conventional approaches. We have summarised the advancements in gene editing technology, which could be a more efficient technique for the remediation of various environmental pollutants.
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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.
Recent trends in bioremediation and bioaugmentation strategies for mitigation of marine based pollutants: current perspectives and future outlook
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This review evaluates recent advances in bioremediation and bioaugmentation strategies for addressing marine pollution from microplastics, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and pesticides. Researchers highlight progress in developing tailored microbial consortia, genetically engineered degradation agents, and nano-enabled remediation approaches informed by omics tools. The study notes that while significant advances have been made, scaling these biological approaches to handle complex pollutant mixtures in real ocean conditions remains a major challenge.
Study on toxicity effects of environmental pollutants based on metabolomics: A review
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This review examines how metabolomics, a technology that measures changes in small molecules within organisms, is being used to study the toxic effects of environmental pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and pesticides. Researchers found that metabolomics can reveal subtle biological changes caused by pollutant exposure that traditional methods might miss. The study highlights metabolomics as a powerful tool for understanding how environmental contaminants disrupt normal biological processes at the molecular level.
Microbial degradation of contaminants of emerging concern: metabolic, genetic and omics insights for enhanced bioremediation
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This review covers how microorganisms have evolved the ability to break down emerging pollutants including plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides, turning them into less harmful substances. Understanding the genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways these microbes use could lead to cost-effective, eco-friendly cleanup methods for removing persistent contaminants -- including plastic-derived chemicals -- from the environment before they reach people.
Microbial and multi-omics approaches for bioremediation of emerging contaminants: environmental impact and future engineering solutions
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This research review summarizes how scientists are using helpful microbes (bacteria, fungi, and algae) to clean up dangerous pollutants in our water and soil, including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and microplastics that can harm human health. The study shows that these tiny organisms can naturally break down and remove many toxic chemicals from the environment. This matters because it could lead to cheaper, eco-friendly ways to clean up contaminated areas and protect our drinking water and food supply.
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