Metal-microbe interaction and bioremediation

Abstract

Bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclides has shown immense promise as an alternative approach for cleaning up, especially the biosphere component of the environment. The ubiquitous nature of microbes has made them the pioneers in any bioremediation approaches. Understanding the working mechanism of these microorganisms either independently, or as a community in relation to their interaction with heavy metal will enlighten and improve the use of bioremediation for environmental cleanup. The discovery of plants that have metal accumulation potential has opened fresh avenues for bioremediation. Plant-based bioremediation is still at a nascent stage, but it has attracted considerable attention in recent years. A concerted approach of using plants and microbes for bioremediation is another strategy that might work efficiently as both can complement each other through various interactions. Moreover, genetic engineering can be used to improve the bioremediation capacity of both plants and microbes and further improve their capacity in bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclide.