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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Surface-programmed microbiome assembly in phycosphere to microplastics contamination
ClearInvestigating the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces
Researchers investigated the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces, examining how microbial communities interact with plastic polymers in environmental settings. The study characterized the 'plastisphere' — the community of microorganisms that colonize microplastic surfaces — and assessed the extent to which microbial activity contributes to plastic degradation in natural environments.
Bioremediation of microplastic pollution: A systematic review on mechanism, analytical methods, innovations, and omics approaches
Researchers systematically reviewed how bacteria, fungi, and algae can break down microplastics through enzymes and biofilms, and how cutting-edge tools like genomics and genetically engineered microbes are improving biodegradation efficiency. While microbial bioremediation is a promising sustainable approach to microplastic pollution, challenges around scalability and varying degradation rates in real environments still need to be overcome.
Marine Microbial Assemblages on Microplastics: Diversity, Adaptation, and Role in Degradation
This review examines microbial communities that colonize microplastics in the ocean, collectively known as the plastisphere. Researchers found that these biofilms differ significantly from those on natural surfaces and may include pathogenic bacteria and species capable of partially degrading plastics. The study highlights both the ecological risks of microplastics as vectors for harmful microbes and the potential for harnessing plastic-degrading organisms.
Microplastic biofilms as potential hotspots for plastic biodegradation and nitrogen cycling: a metagenomic perspective
Researchers used genetic analysis to study the microbial communities that form biofilms on different types of microplastics in an estuarine environment. They found that these plastic-associated communities contained genes for both plastic degradation and nitrogen cycling, suggesting the biofilms may play dual roles in the ecosystem. The study indicates that microplastic surfaces in waterways create unique microbial habitats that could influence both pollution breakdown and nutrient processing.
The plastisphere ecology: Assessing the impact of different pollution sources on microbial community composition, function and assembly in aquatic ecosystems
Researchers studied the microbial communities living on microplastic surfaces (called the plastisphere) across four different aquatic sites and found that plastics host a distinctly different mix of microbes than the surrounding water, shaped by local pollution sources. These plastic-surface microbes also carry more antibiotic resistance genes and show greater potential for breaking down plastics, making the plastisphere both a health concern and a potential bioremediation resource.
The ecology of the plastisphere: Microbial composition, function, assembly, and network in the freshwater and seawater ecosystems
Researchers studied the communities of bacteria and fungi that colonize microplastic surfaces in freshwater and seawater, forming what scientists call the plastisphere. These microplastic-associated communities were distinctly different from those in surrounding water, and included a higher proportion of disease-causing organisms and species involved in pollutant degradation. The findings suggest that microplastics create new habitats that can harbor pathogens and alter natural microbial ecosystems in ways that may affect water quality and human health.
Responses of natural plastisphere community and zooplankton to microplastic pollution: a review on novel remediation strategies
This review examines how microbial communities colonize microplastic surfaces in aquatic environments, forming what scientists call the plastisphere, and how these plastic-associated microbes interact with zooplankton. Researchers found that microplastics serve as floating platforms for bacteria, including potentially harmful species, and can transfer these microbes up the food chain through zooplankton ingestion. The study highlights novel bioremediation strategies that harness natural microbial processes to help break down microplastic pollution.
Periphytic biofilm: An innovative approach for biodegradation of microplastics
Researchers investigated periphytic biofilm as a method for biodegrading microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilm-forming microorganisms were capable of colonizing and partially degrading plastic surfaces. The approach offers a low-cost, nature-based strategy for reducing microplastic pollution in waterways.
Aquatic Microbial Diversity on Plastisphere: Colonization and Potential Role in Microplastic Biodegradation
This review examines how microorganisms colonize the surfaces of floating plastic debris in aquatic environments, forming communities known as the plastisphere. Researchers found that certain bacteria and fungi on plastic surfaces show potential for biodegrading the polymers they inhabit. The study suggests that understanding these microbial communities could lead to biological approaches for breaking down microplastic pollution in waterways.
A critical review of interactions between microplastics, microalgae and aquatic ecosystem function
This review of microplastic-microalgae interactions found that microplastics form distinct epiplastic algal communities that differ from surrounding water communities, and that the interactions are bidirectional — MP properties affect algal physiology while algal surface coatings alter MP behavior and fate.
The structure and assembly mechanisms of plastisphere microbial community in natural marine environment
Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastic surfaces in natural marine environments over an eight-week period. They found that the composition of these plastic-associated microbial communities, known as the plastisphere, was shaped more by environmental conditions and time than by the specific type of plastic. The study provides new understanding of the ecological processes governing how microorganisms assemble on ocean plastic debris.
Microbial–Enzymatic Combinatorial Approach to Capture and Release Microplastics
Researchers developed a microbial-enzymatic approach using evolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa to aggregate microplastics via biofilm formation for removal from polluted waters, then employed protease treatment to release captured plastics for downstream recovery.
Distinctive patterns of bacterial community succession in the riverine micro-plastisphere in view of biofilm development and ecological niches
Scientists studied how bacterial communities develop on microplastics versus natural materials in river water and found that plastics support a distinct pattern of microbial colonization. The research identified specific bacteria capable of degrading microplastics and revealed that competition among microbes on plastic surfaces follows unexpected patterns compared to natural substrates.
The Plastisphere: Microbial Communities and Their Role in Microplastic Biodegradation in Aquatic Environments: A Review
This review examines the plastisphere, the complex microbial communities that colonize microplastic surfaces in aquatic environments, and their potential role in biodegrading these pollutants. Researchers found that organisms such as cyanobacteria and diatoms play key roles in microplastic colonization and potential breakdown through enzymatic degradation mechanisms. The study highlights that while microbial biodegradation of microplastics shows promise, much more research is needed to understand the full ecological implications of plastisphere communities.
Evaluation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities on microplastic‐associated biofilms in marine and freshwater environments
Researchers analyzed microbial biofilm communities on microplastic surfaces in both marine and freshwater environments, finding that plastic-associated biofilms harbor distinct prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities with potential roles in plastic biodegradation.
Microbial Colonization and Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystem: A Review
This review examines how microorganisms colonize and form biofilms on microplastics in aquatic environments, creating a plastisphere where bacteria and fungi can potentially degrade plastic particles through enzymatic processes.
Combined environmental pressure induces unique assembly patterns of micro-plastisphere biofilm microbial communities in constructed wetlands
Researchers studied how biofilm communities form on microplastic surfaces within constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatment. They found that environmental stressors like antibiotics and organic matter created unique microbial communities on microplastics that differed from those on natural surfaces. The study suggests that constructed wetlands, while effective at trapping microplastics, may also foster distinct microbial ecosystems on plastic surfaces that warrant further investigation.
Engineering a Solution: Recent Technological Advances in the Microbial Bioremediation of Microplastics
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.
Effect of different size microplastic particles on the construction of algal-bacterial biofilms and microbial communities
Researchers tested how microplastic particles of different sizes affect algal-bacterial biofilms used for sewage treatment. Smaller nanoplastics caused more damage to the biofilm community, reducing algal growth and shifting microbial diversity, while larger microplastics had milder effects. This matters because algal-bacterial systems are a green technology for water treatment, and microplastic contamination could undermine their effectiveness.
Microplastics: New substrates for heterotrophic activity contribute to altering organic matter cycles in aquatic ecosystems
This study demonstrated that heterotrophic bacteria colonizing microplastic surfaces in aquatic ecosystems have distinct metabolic capabilities and can process organic matter at rates different from planktonic bacteria. The findings suggest that the plastisphere — the microbial community on plastic surfaces — may alter organic matter cycling in aquatic environments as microplastic abundance grows.