Genetics of Biodegradation and Bioremediation 2.0

Dear Colleagues,

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the exploitation of natural resources and the mass production of chemical goods, accompanied by the generation of unwanted by-products together with inappropriate disposal, has led to considerable contamination of the entire environment, with substantial detrimental side-effects. Apart from deposition in special disposal sites (contained landfills) and the physico-chemical treatment of such wastes and contaminated environments, biological processes driven by the catalytic activities of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae have been used as green alternatives in the process of bioremediation. In order to deepen our understanding and to further improve this technology of biodegradation and bioremediation, a more profound scientific background needs to be investigated at the physiological, taxonomical, biochemical (enzymatic), and genetic level. Whilst there was first a focus on singular organisms, newer approaches using the “omics” methodologies have led to a more intense understanding of the very complex activities and interactions of microbial consortia involved.

This Special Issue is a follow-up of a preceding Special Issue on this topic (see: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/genes/special_issues/biodeg_biorem#editors). As before, this Special Issue intends to publish original research and reviews covering the identification and characterization of biodegradative and associative genes and their respective operons, catabolic mobile genetic elements, and all related aspects of regulation, including the use of omics or metagenomics techniques toward this end.

Prof. Dr. Regina-Michaela Wittich
Dr. Pieter van Dillewijn
Guest Editors

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