Microorganisms as a Tool for Restoring the Environment

A special issue of Microbiology Research (ISSN 2036-7481).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 6805

Special Issue Editors

Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Interests: applied and environmental microbiology
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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Interests: biology; chemistry; education; medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Microorganisms are widely distributed and grow quickly in all environmental conditions because of their high metabolic activity. The large variety of metabolites and enzymes produced by microbes have a significant role in the degradation of pollutants. In the process of bio-attenuation, microorganisms covert and modify toxic compounds to non-toxic forms or utilize toxic materials for their growth and development. Archaea, bacteria and fungi show a remarkable aptitude for removing dangerous toxic pollutants, and thus bioremediating polluted environments. Polluted water, soil and sediments can be restored to near natural conditions when their ecological functions are recovered.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore the current trends of the application of microorganisms in bio-attenuation. Bioremediation of polluted environments is a topical research area because, instead of conventional hard technologies, eco-friendly and economic techniques are continuously being researched to resolve environmental pollution.

Suggest themes:

  • Cleanup of contaminated water, soils, and sediments;
  • Oil spill cleanup;
  • Cleaning bilge wastewaters;
  • Detoxifying organic pollutants such as dyes, PCBs, VOCs, phenols, hydrocarbons, and xenobiotics;
  • Environmental microbes as a significant source of medical solutions.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas include all remediation techniques where the role of microbes in the recovery process is in focus. In situ experiments on polluted sites are highly appreciated and are preferred over laboratory experiments.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. F Ameen
Dr. Abeer Al-Masri
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • microbial biotechnology
  • bioremediation
  • microorganisms
  • detoxifying organic pollutants

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3016 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Lacc134 Oxidoreductase of Ganoderma multistipitatum in Detoxification of Dye Wastewater under Different Nutritional Conditions
by Eman A. Alhomaidi, Aisha Umar, Salam S. Alsharari and Sami Alyahya
Microbiol. Res. 2023, 14(3), 1398-1412; https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres14030095 - 18 Sep 2023
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Abstract
In the present study, we investigated the effects of different carbon sources (glucose, sucrose, and maltose) on laccase production from mycelium of Ganoderma multistipitatum grown on malt extract agar plates. The preliminary screening test was performed on the guaiacol plate, where a maroon [...] Read more.
In the present study, we investigated the effects of different carbon sources (glucose, sucrose, and maltose) on laccase production from mycelium of Ganoderma multistipitatum grown on malt extract agar plates. The preliminary screening test was performed on the guaiacol plate, where a maroon brown zone formed after laccase oxidation. A few pure mycelial discs of Ganoderma species were transferred into submerged fermentation nutrient broth. The nutrient medium of submerged fermentation at 20 g of glucose revealed the highest laccase activities (2300 U/L) than other carbon sources. The interesting results also shown by inorganic NaNO3 in the production of maximum laccase (7800 ± 1.1 U/L). The organic nitrogen inducer, namely yeast extract, exhibited 5834 U/L laccase activity and a potential source of laccase secretion. The results concluded that C and N inducers enhanced the laccase production. This production process is eco-friendly and effective in the removal of dye from water. Laccase from the cultural broth was partially purified by SDS-PAGE for molecular weight determination, while Native-PAGE confirmed the laccase band after staining with guaiacol. The Km and Vmax values of Lacc134 were 1.658 mm and 2.452 mM min−1, respectively. The Lacc134 of this study effectively removed the Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dye (extensively used in textile industries and wastewater). For dye removal capacity, 2.0 mg, 4.0 mg, 5.0 mg, and 6.0 mg were used, from which 6.0 mg was most effective in removal (85% and 88%) dye concentration in 1st and 2nd h interval treatment, respectively. Total organic carbon (TOC) quantity after dye removal percentage in the first- and second-hour time interval was 62% and 89%, respectively, at 30 g glucose. According to the experimental finding of this study, the breakdown products catalyzed by Lacc134 are less hazardous due to lower molecular weight than the dye itself. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms as a Tool for Restoring the Environment)
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18 pages, 5486 KiB  
Article
Bioremediation of Azo Dye Brown 703 by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: An Effective Treatment Technique for Dye-Polluted Wastewater
by Asad Ullah Khan, Muhammad Zahoor, Mujaddad Ur Rehman, Muhammad Ikram, Daochen Zhu, Muhammad Naveed Umar, Riaz Ullah and Essam A. Ali
Microbiol. Res. 2023, 14(3), 1049-1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres14030070 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3206
Abstract
Dye-polluted wastewater poses a serious threat to humans’, animals’ and plants’ health, and to avoid these health risks in the future, the treatment of wastewater containing dyes is necessary before its release to environment. Herein, a biological approach is used; the textile azo [...] Read more.
Dye-polluted wastewater poses a serious threat to humans’, animals’ and plants’ health, and to avoid these health risks in the future, the treatment of wastewater containing dyes is necessary before its release to environment. Herein, a biological approach is used; the textile azo dye brown 703 is degraded utilizing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The bacterial strain was isolated from textile wastewater dumping sites in Mingora, Swat. The optimization for bacterial degradation was carried out on the nutrient broth medium, which was then subjected to a variety of environmental physicochemical conditions and nutritional source supplementation before being tested. Under micro-aerophilic circumstances, the maximum decolorization and degradation of dye occurred at a 20 ppm dye concentration within 3 days of incubation at a neutral pH and 38 °C. The decrease in the intensity of the absorbance peak in the UV–Vis spectrum was used to measure the extent of decolorization. Initially, 15 bacterial strains were isolated from the textile effluent. Out of these strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be the most potent degrading bacteria, with a degradation extent of around 71.36% at optimum conditions. The appearance and disappearance of some new peaks in the FT-IR analysis after the degradation of brown 703 showed that the dye was degraded by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The GC–MS analysis performed helped in identifying the degraded compounds of azo dye that were utilized in illustrating the under-study process of brown 703 degradation. The biodegradation brought about by Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be employed successfully in the future as an eco-friendly approach with far reaching results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms as a Tool for Restoring the Environment)
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Review

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17 pages, 1654 KiB  
Review
Microbial Diversity and Nitrogen Cycling in Peat and Marine Soils: A Review
by Akshatha Soratur, Balu Alagar Venmathi Maran, Ahmad Syazni Kamarudin and Kenneth Francis Rodrigues
Microbiol. Res. 2024, 15(2), 806-822; https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15020052 - 14 May 2024
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Abstract
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for living organisms in peat and marine soils, and its transformation within the soil matrix is a complex process mediated by various microbes that inhabit these ecological niches. The metabolism of nitrogen is governed by microbially mediated biogeochemical [...] Read more.
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for living organisms in peat and marine soils, and its transformation within the soil matrix is a complex process mediated by various microbes that inhabit these ecological niches. The metabolism of nitrogen is governed by microbially mediated biogeochemical transformations, such as nitrification, anammox, and denitrification, which contribute to the assimilated pool of nitrogen and fixed nitrogen loss. One of the major challenges facing the field of peat and marine microbiology is the lack of understanding of the correlation between ecosystem-driven nitrogen transformation and microbial diversity. This is crucial because of growing concerns regarding the impacts of human-induced activities and global climate change on microbial nitrogen-cycling processes in peat and marine soils. Thus, this review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the microbial communities involved in peat and marine nitrification, anammox, and denitrification; the factors influencing the niche differentiation and distribution of the main functional components; the genes involved; and the main effects of human-induced activities and global climate change on the peat and marine nitrogen cycle. The implications of this review will facilitate an understanding of the complex mechanisms associated with ecosystem function in relation to nitrogen cycling, the role of peat and marine soils as carbon sinks, pollution remediation using naturally occurring populations of diverse microbes, and the development of policies to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic influences in peat and marine soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms as a Tool for Restoring the Environment)
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