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Biotechnological methods to remove microplastics: a review
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This review examines biotechnological approaches to removing microplastics from the environment, including using algae, fungi, and bacteria that can break down plastic particles. The paper also discusses cutting-edge methods like gene editing to enhance microbial degradation abilities, which could eventually help reduce the amount of microplastics that accumulate in food and water sources.
Microplastics pollution is major threat to ecosystems and is impacting abiotic and biotic components. Microplastics are diverse and highly complex contaminants that transport other contaminants and microbes. Current methods to remove microplastics include biodegradation, incineration, landfilling, and recycling. Here we review microplastics with focus on sources, toxicity, and biodegradation. We discuss the role of algae, fungi, bacteria in the biodegradation, and we present biotechnological methods to enhance degradation, e.g., gene editing tools and bioinformatics.
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Microplastic Accumulation and Degradation in Environment via Biotechnological Approaches
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This review examines how biotechnological approaches, including genetic engineering, genome editing, and synthetic biology, can enhance microbial degradation of plastics. Researchers found that while microplastics and nanoplastics are now found throughout the environment and even in food and the human body, improved methods for plastic biodegradation could help reduce their production. The study highlights the potential of engineered microorganisms as a strategy for addressing plastic waste accumulation.
Engineering a Solution: Recent Technological Advances in the Microbial Bioremediation of Microplastics
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This review examines recent advances in microbial bioremediation of microplastics, highlighting the limitations of conventional treatments and presenting biological alternatives using bacteria, fungi, and algae capable of degrading plastic polymers. The authors discuss key enzymatic mechanisms and the potential for scaling microbial approaches as sustainable remediation tools for plastic pollution.
Microorganism-mediated biodegradation for effective management and/or removal of micro-plastics from the environment: a comprehensive review
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This review summarizes research on using microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae to break down microplastics in the environment. While some organisms can partially degrade certain plastic types through fragmentation and chemical breakdown, no single microbe can fully eliminate microplastics. The review highlights that biological degradation is a promising but still limited approach to addressing microplastic pollution, and more research is needed to develop effective microbial cleanup strategies.
Engineering a Solution: Recent Technological Advances in the Microbial Bioremediation of Microplastics
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This review examines recent advances in microbial bioremediation of microplastics, highlighting the limitations of conventional treatments like mechanical recycling and incineration and presenting biological alternatives using bacteria, fungi, and algae. The authors identify key microbial mechanisms and enzyme systems involved in plastic degradation and discuss the potential for scaling these approaches as cost-effective environmental remediation tools.
Biodegradation of different types of microplastics: Molecular mechanism and degradation efficiency
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This review examines how bacteria, fungi, and algae can break down different types of microplastics through their enzymes, and compares the degradation efficiency of various microbial strains. Understanding these biological breakdown pathways is important because they could be developed into practical solutions for reducing the persistent microplastic pollution that threatens ecosystems and human health.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.