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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Microbial Solutions for Sustainable Resource Recovery and Environmental Remediation
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Microbial Solutions for Sustainable Resource Recovery and Environmental Remediation

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 1141

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chunqiao Xiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
Interests: industrial microorganisms; biotechnology and engineering; biochemical engineering; fermentation engineering; applied microorganisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the role of microorganisms in advancing sustainable solutions for resource recovery and environmental restoration. It highlights cutting-edge research exploring microbial-driven processes for recovering valuable resources (e.g., metals, nutrients, bioenergy) from waste streams, as well as bioremediation strategies to mitigate pollution in soil, water, and air. 

We invite contributions on topics including but not limited to:

  • Bioleaching and metal recovery;
  • Microbial degradation of pollutants;
  • Waste treatment and resource utilization;
  • Cross-disciplinary innovations in environmental microbiology;
  • Microbial resource recovery;
  • Environmental bioremediation;
  • Bioenergy production and nutrient recycling;
  • Sustainable bioprocesses and circular economy solutions;
  • Applications of synthetic biology and systems biology in environmental sustainability.

This Special Issue aims to showcase innovations that bridge microbiology and sustainability, fostering dialogue among researchers, policymakers, and industries to accelerate the transition toward a greener future.

Prof. Dr. Chunqiao Xiao
Guest Editor

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.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioleaching
  • microbial resource recovery
  • bioremediation
  • nutrient recycling
  • sustainable bioprocesses
  • synthetic biology
  • bioenergy
  • wastewater treatment
  • biodegradation
  • microbial electrochemistry

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 6717 KiB  
Article
Ureolysis-Driven Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation by a Facultatively Anaerobic Thermophilic Bacterium Under High-Temperature and Anaerobic Conditions
by Xiulun Shen, Sijia He, Yutaro Takaya, Tomoyoshi Yakata, Kotaro Yoshida and Hajime Kobayashi
Microorganisms 2025, 13(5), 1102; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13051102 - 10 May 2025
Viewed by 510
Abstract
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is the precipitation of CaCO3 crystals, induced by microbial metabolic activities such as ureolysis. Various applications of MICP have been proposed as innovative biocementation techniques. This study aimed to verify the feasibility of ureolysis-driven MICP applications in [...] Read more.
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is the precipitation of CaCO3 crystals, induced by microbial metabolic activities such as ureolysis. Various applications of MICP have been proposed as innovative biocementation techniques. This study aimed to verify the feasibility of ureolysis-driven MICP applications in deep-subsurface environments (e.g., enhanced oil recovery and geological carbon sequestration). To this end, we screened sludge collected from a high-temperature anaerobic digester for facultatively anaerobic thermophilic bacteria possessing ureolytic activity. Then, we examined the ureolysis-driven MICP using a representative isolate, Bacillus haynesii strain SK1, under aerobic, anoxic, and strict anaerobic conditions at 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C. All cultures showed ureolysis and the formation of insoluble precipitates. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed precipitates comprising CaCO3 at 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C under aerobic conditions but only at 50 °C under anoxic and strict anaerobic conditions, suggesting efficient MICP at 50 °C. Interestingly, an X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that calcium carbonate crystals that were produced under aerobic conditions were in the form of calcite, while those that were produced under anoxic and strict anaerobic conditions at 50 °C were mostly in the form of vaterite. Thus, we demonstrated ureolysis-driven MICP under high-temperature and O2-depletion conditions, suggesting the potential of MICP applications in deep-subsurface environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Solutions for Sustainable Resource Recovery and Environmental Remediation)
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15 pages, 3483 KiB  
Article
Metagenomic Analysis Revealed the Changes in Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Heavy Metal Resistance Genes in Phosphate Tailings Compost
by Chunqiao Xiao, Kai Wan, Yan Chen, Yongtong Jin, Fang Zhou, Junxia Yu and Ruan Chi
Microorganisms 2025, 13(4), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13040768 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 474
Abstract
Phosphate tailings are usually rich in phosphorus and some other mineral nutrients, which is very suitable for composting. In this study, 60 days of composting using phosphate tailings, chicken manure, and straw resulted in a significant decrease in total nitrogen (TN) content from [...] Read more.
Phosphate tailings are usually rich in phosphorus and some other mineral nutrients, which is very suitable for composting. In this study, 60 days of composting using phosphate tailings, chicken manure, and straw resulted in a significant decrease in total nitrogen (TN) content from 1.75 ± 0.12 g/kg to 0.98 ± 0.23 g/kg (p < 0.01), with a nitrogen retention of 56%, an increase in water-soluble phosphorus (Ws-P) from 3.24 ± 0.14 mg/kg to 7.21 ± 0.09 mg/kg, and an increase in immediate potassium (AK) from 0.56 ± 0.21 mg/kg to 1.90 ± 0.11 mg/kg (p < 0.05). Metagenomic sequencing showed little changes in the diversity and abundance of microbial communities before and after composting, but changes in species composition and the abundance of archaea, bacteria, and fungi resulted in differences in community structure before and after composting. Composting contributed to a lower gene abundance of ARGs and MRGs. The addition of phosphate tailings combined the functions of chemical regulation and nutrient enrichment, and its synergistic effect significantly optimized the nutrient cycling in the composting system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Solutions for Sustainable Resource Recovery and Environmental Remediation)
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