Papers

20 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

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.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of microplastic degradation: Understanding metagenomic approaches for microplastic degrading organisms

This review explores how metagenomics, the study of genetic material from environmental samples, is helping scientists identify microorganisms that can break down plastics. The paper covers the methods used to find and characterize plastic-degrading bacteria, as well as the environmental consequences of plastic degradation including health risks from inhaling and ingesting microplastics. While biological solutions to plastic pollution show promise, the review notes that more research is needed to develop effective, scalable approaches.

2023 Polymer Testing 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Microorganisms for Microplastic Degradation: A Sustainable Approach to Mitigating Environmental Pollution

This review surveys microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and other taxa—capable of degrading microplastics, examining the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions involved, and assessing the practical potential of harnessing these organisms for bioremediation of plastic pollution.

2025 NIPES Journal of Science and Technology Research
Article Tier 2

Toward Microbial Recycling and Upcycling of Plastics: Prospects and Challenges

This review examines the prospects and challenges of using microorganisms to recycle and upcycle plastic waste, assessing the current state of microbial degradation research across major polymer types. The authors identify metabolic engineering and synthetic biology as key tools needed to make biological plastic recycling economically viable at scale.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Discovering untapped microbial communities through metagenomics for microplastic remediation: recent advances, challenges, and way forward

This review explores how metagenomic approaches are uncovering microbial communities capable of degrading microplastics in various environments. Researchers found that diverse bacteria and fungi in soil, water, and waste systems produce enzymes that can break down plastic polymers, though degradation rates remain slow. The study highlights metagenomics as a powerful tool for discovering new biological solutions to microplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Accumulation and Degradation in Environment via Biotechnological Approaches

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.

2022 Water 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges and opportunities in bioremediation of micro-nano plastics: A review.

This review examines biological approaches to removing micro- and nanoplastics from the environment, focusing on microbial degradation and bioremediation strategies. While bioremediation holds promise, challenges remain in identifying microbes capable of degrading common plastic types and scaling these processes for practical environmental cleanup.

2022 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Assembly strategies for polyethylene-degrading microbial consortia based on the combination of omics tools and the "Plastisphere".

This review examines the microorganisms and enzymes capable of degrading polyethylene and discusses how combining genomic tools with studies of plastic-associated microbial communities could lead to more effective biodegradation strategies. The findings suggest that engineered microbial consortia guided by omics data hold promise for breaking down one of the world's most persistent plastics.

2023 Frontiers in microbiology
Systematic Review Tier 1

Integrating Genomic and Proteomic Data Using Machine Learning for Plastic Biodegradation: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes how machine learning and genomic data are being used to identify microbes and enzymes that can break down plastic waste. The research is significant for microplastic concerns because discovering more effective biological degradation pathways could provide a natural solution for reducing the microplastic pollution that accumulates in our environment and bodies.

2025 NIPES Journal of Science and Technology Research
Article Tier 2

Advances in microplastic mitigation: current progress and future directions

This review synthesizes recent advances in biotechnology-based approaches to microplastic remediation, including microbial degradation, engineered enzyme systems, and AI-driven monitoring. Researchers found that while promising enzymes and engineered biofilm systems have been demonstrated in the lab, translating these solutions to diverse polymer types and real-world field applications remains a major challenge. The study proposes a unified roadmap for scaling sustainable biotechnology solutions to address the global microplastic crisis.

2025 Archives of Microbiology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial plastic degradation: enzymes, pathways, challenges, and perspectives.

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microbial plastic degradation, covering the enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in breaking down major synthetic polymers, the challenges limiting efficient biodegradation, and perspectives for engineering improved microbial solutions to plastic waste.

2025 Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR
Article Tier 2

Emerging biotechnological and eco-remediation strategies for the biodegradation and removal of micro/nanoplastics from the environment: A comprehensive review

Researchers reviewed emerging biotechnological and eco-remediation strategies for removing micro- and nanoplastics from the environment, synthesizing advances in synthetic microbial consortia, enzyme-mediated depolymerization, phytoremediation, and green nanomaterials while highlighting key analytical and field-implementation challenges.

2026 Journal of Applied and Natural Science
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Potential of Metagenomics for Eradicating Microplastics from Drinking Water

This review discussed metagenomics as a tool for identifying and characterizing microbial communities capable of degrading microplastics in drinking water systems. The paper addressed challenges in detecting microplastics in drinking water and proposed metagenomics-guided approaches for developing sustainable biological remediation strategies.

2024 International Journal of Nature Science.
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of microplastics: Advancement in the strategic approaches towards prevention of its accumulation and harmful effects

This review assessed advances in strategic approaches to microplastic biodegradation, covering microbial enzymes, biofilm-mediated degradation, and conditions that enhance breakdown rates, with the goal of identifying practical paths to reducing environmental microplastic accumulation.

2023 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation mechanisms and microbial remediation of micro- and nanoplastics: A comprehensive review.

This review examines how microorganisms degrade micro- and nanoplastics through the secretion of depolymerases and mineralization pathways, assessing the practical potential of microbial bioremediation as a supplement to abiotic degradation processes.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microbial strategies for effective microplastics biodegradation: Insights and innovations in environmental remediation

This review explores how bacteria and their enzymes can break down microplastics through oxidative degradation, offering a biological approach to cleaning up plastic pollution. The paper highlights innovative pretreatment methods that make plastics more accessible to microbial breakdown and positions microbial strategies as a promising frontline solution for removing microplastics from ecosystems before they can enter the food chain and affect human health.

2024 Environmental Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial degradation of contaminants of emerging concern: metabolic, genetic and omics insights for enhanced bioremediation

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.

2024 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in techniques for microplastic detection, microbial biodegradation and its genomic insights: a review

This review covers recent advances in both detecting microplastics and understanding how microorganisms can biodegrade them. Researchers summarized traditional methods like Raman and infrared spectroscopy alongside newer approaches such as hyperspectral imaging and electrochemical biosensors for microplastic identification. The study also highlights key bacterial, fungal, and algal species capable of degrading common plastics and the specific genes and enzymes involved in the biodegradation process.

2026 Biodegradation
Article Tier 2

Application of green microbiology for microplastic remediation: Current progress and future perspectives

This review explores how microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, can be harnessed to break down microplastic pollution through environmentally friendly biodegradation approaches. Researchers summarized current progress in identifying plastic-degrading microbes and the enzymes they use. The study highlights the promise of green microbiology as a sustainable strategy for tackling microplastic contamination, while noting that significant technical challenges remain.

2024 Environmental Advances 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances in biodegradation of emerging contaminants - microplastics (MPs): Feasibility, mechanism, and future prospects

This review explores biological approaches to breaking down microplastics, including using bacteria, fungi, and enzymes. While some organisms can partially degrade certain plastic types, the process is slow and incomplete compared to the scale of pollution. The research is promising for future cleanup efforts but shows that biodegradation alone cannot yet solve the microplastic contamination problem.

2023 Chemosphere 81 citations