review · International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Micropollutants in the environment present an urgent need for sustainable cleanup strategies. Microbial enzymes act as versatile biocatalysts with strong catalytic activity, biodegradability, and high substrate specificity, allowing them to break down a wide range of contaminants. However, natural enzymes face practical hurdles regarding stability and reusability during environmental remediation. Immobilisation techniques address these challenges by binding enzymes to inert or activated solid supports. This structural anchoring enhances the stability and reusability of biocatalysts, making bioremediation workflows significantly more cost-effective and efficient. Immobilised microbial enzymes have demonstrated success in breaking down diverse pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, synthetic dyes, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and microplastics. Looking ahead, the integration of enzyme engineering and machine learning could further enhance the capabilities and operational design of these biocatalytic systems for widespread ecological cleanup.
Accumulating pollutants like microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals threaten ecosystems and water supplies worldwide. Traditional cleanup methods can be costly or environmentally damaging. Using microbial enzymes offers a nature-inspired, biodegradable alternative to clean up hazardous waste. Stabilising these enzymes through immobilisation makes environmental remediation far more practical and affordable, paving the way for sustainable mitigation of persistent contamination.
The work points toward applications in environmental remediation and industrial wastewater treatment, relevant to water utilities, chemical manufacturers, and waste-management firms. Immobilisation directly addresses the commercial hurdle of enzyme reusability and processing costs across diverse contaminants. However, as a review paper discussing demonstrated degradation successes alongside emerging directions in machine learning and protein engineering, the technology appears to remain at an applied research stage rather than near market deployment.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
The ever-increasing presence of micropollutants necessitates the development of environmentally friendly bioremediation strategies. Inspired by the remarkable versatility and potent catalytic activities of microbial enzymes, researchers are exploring their application as biocatalysts for innovative environmental cleanup solutions. Microbial enzymes offer remarkable substrate specificity, biodegradability, and the capacity to degrade a wide array of pollutants, positioning them as powerful tools for bioremediation. However, practical applications are often hindered by limitations in enzyme stability and reusability. Enzyme immobilization techniques have emerged as transformative strategies, enhancing enzyme stability and reusability by anchoring them onto inert or activated supports. These improvements lead to more efficient pollutant degradation and cost-effective bioremediation processes. This review delves into the diverse immobilization methods, showcasing their success in degrading various environmental pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, dyes, pesticides, microplastics, and industrial chemicals. By highlighting the transformative potential of microbial immobilized enzyme biocatalysts, this review underscores their significance in achieving a cleaner and more sustainable future through the mitigation of micropollutant contamination. Additionally, future research directions in areas such as enzyme engineering and machine learning hold immense promise for further broadening the capabilities and optimizing the applications of immobilized enzymes in environmental cleanup.
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DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168616
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