Biotechnology for Wastewater Treatment: Current Situation and Future Prospects
A special issue of BioTech (ISSN 2673-6284). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 15
Special Issue Editors
Interests: wastewater treatment; microalgae biorefinery; antioxidant activity
Interests: phytochemicals; UHPLC-PDA-MS; bioactivities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue invites original research and reviews on recent advances and emerging technologies in biotechnology applied to wastewater treatment (WWT). Emphasis will be placed on the development, optimization, and integration of biotechnological methods to enhance treatment efficiency and sustainability.
Biotechnology-based WWT is gaining global traction due to its eco-friendly potential to remove organic and inorganic pollutants. Innovations such as genetically engineered microbes, enzymatic bioreactors, and algal–bacterial consortia are advancing the treatment of industrial and municipal effluents. Techniques like bioaugmentation, biostimulation, and the use of biosensors for real-time pollutant detection are reshaping modern wastewater practices.
Omics approaches—such as metagenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—offer critical insights into microbial communities, enabling the design of more efficient, tailored WWT systems. These technologies help uncover key functional genes and metabolic pathways involved in biodegradation.
Emerging tools including CRISPR, synthetic biology, and AI-driven process optimization further expand the potential of biotechnology in WWT. Additionally, the integration of resource recovery concepts, such as nutrient recycling and bioenergy production, aligns with circular economy goals.
We welcome submissions addressing both current challenges and future prospects in biotechnological solutions for wastewater treatment, with a special interest in interdisciplinary approaches and sustainable innovations.
Dr. Davide Liberti
Dr. Luísa Barreira
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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Keywords
- wastewater treatment (WWT)
- environmental biotechnology
- microbial bioremediation
- biomass applications
- metagenomics
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