Insights on Engineered Microbes in Sustainable Agriculture: Biotechnological Developments and Future Prospects

Microbial-assistance and chelation-support techniques promoting phytoremediation under abiotic stresses

Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove heavy metals from polluted environments, has been extensively studied. However, abiotic stresses such as drought, salt, and high temperatures can limit plant growth and metal uptake, reducing phytoremediation efficiency. High levels of HMs are also toxic to plants, further decreasing phytoremediation efficacy. This manuscript explores the potential of microbial-assisted and chelation-supported approaches to improve phytoremediation under abiotic stress conditions. Microbial assistance involves the use of specific microbes, including fungi that can produce siderophores. Siderophores bind essential metal ions, increasing their solubility and bioavailability for plant uptake. Chelation-supported methods employ organic acids and amino acids to enhance soil absorption and supply of essential metal ions. These chelating agents bind HMs ions, reducing their toxicity to plants and enabling plants to better withstand abiotic stresses like drought and salinity. Managed microbial-assisted and chelation-supported approaches offer more efficient and sustainable phytoremediation by promoting plant growth, metal uptake, and mitigating the effects of heavy metal and abiotic stresses. Managed microbial-assisted and chelation-supported approaches offer more efficient and sustainable phytoremediation by promoting plant growth, metal uptake, and mitigating the effects of HMs and abiotic stresses.These strategies represent a significant advancement in phytoremediation technology, potentially expanding its applicability to more challenging environmental conditions. In this review, we examined how microbial-assisted and chelation-supported techniques can enhance phytoremediation a method that uses plants to remove heavy metals from contaminated sites. These approaches not only boost plant growth and metal uptake but also alleviate the toxic effects of HMs and abiotic stresses like drought and salinity. By doing so, they make phytoremediation a more viable and effective solution for environmental remediation.

Bacterial epigenetics and its implication for agriculture, probiotics development, and biotechnology design

In their natural habitats, organisms encounter numerous external stimuli and must be able to sense and adapt to those stimuli to survive. Unlike mutations, epigenetic changes do not alter the underlying DNA sequence. Instead, they create modifications that promote or silence gene expression. Bacillus subtilis has long been a model organism in studying genetics and development. It is beneficial for numerous biotechnological applications where it is included as a probiotic, in fermentation, or in bio-concrete design. This bacterium has also emerged recently as a model organism for studying bacterial epigenetic adaptation. In this review, we examine the evolving knowledge of epigenetic regulation (restriction-modification systems (RM), orphan methyltransferases, and chromosome condensation) in B. subtilis and related bacteria, and utilize it as a case study to test their potential roles and future applications in genetic engineering and microbial biotechnology. Finally, we suggest how the implementation of these fundamental findings promotes the design of synthetic epigenetic memory circuits and their future applications in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology.

Advances in microbial based bio-inoculum for amelioration of soil health and sustainable crop production

The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is increasingly imperative in addressing global food security and environmental concerns, with microbial based bio-inoculums emerging as a promising approach for nurturing soil health and fostering sustainable crop production.This review article explores the potential of microbial based bio-inoculumsor biofertilizers as a transformative approach toenhance plant disease resistance and growth. It explores the commercial prospects of biofertilizers, highlighting their role in addressing environmental concerns associated with conventional fertilizers while meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly agricultural practices. Additionally, this review discusses the future prospects of biofertilizers, emphasizing the ongoing advancements in biotechnology and formulation techniques that are expected to enhance their efficacy and applicability. Furthermore, this article provides insights into strategies for the successful acceptance of biofertilizers among farmers, including the importance of quality control, assurance, and education initiatives to raise awareness about their benefits and overcome barriers to adoption. By synthesizing the current research findings and industrial developments, this review offers valuable guidance for stakeholders seeking to exploit the potential of biofertilizers or beneficial microbes to promote soil health, ensure sustainable crop production, and addressing the challenges of modern agriculture.

A roadmap to establish a comprehensive platform for sustainable manufacturing of natural products in yeast

Secondary natural products (NPs) are a rich source for drug discovery. However, the low abundance of NPs makes their extraction from nature inefficient, while chemical synthesis is challenging and unsustainable. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris are excellent manufacturing systems for the production of NPs. This Perspective discusses a comprehensive platform for sustainable production of NPs in the two yeasts through system-associated optimization at four levels: genetics, temporal controllers, productivity screening, and scalability. Additionally, it is pointed out critical metabolic building blocks in NP bioengineering can be identified through connecting multilevel data of the optimized system using deep learning.

Removal of toxic heavy metals using genetically engineered microbes: Molecular tools, risk assessment and management strategies

The direct release of industrial effluent into the water and other anthropogenic activities causes water pollution. Heavy metal ions are the primary contaminant in the industrial effluents which are exceptionally toxic at low concentrations, terribly disturb the endurance equilibrium of activities in the eco-system and be remarkably hazardous to human health. Different conventional treatment methodologies were utilized for the removal of toxic pollutants from the contaminated water which has several drawbacks such as cost-ineffective and lower efficiency. Recently, genetically modified micro-organisms (GMMs) stand-out for the removal of toxic heavy metals are viewed as an economically plausible and environmentally safe technique. GMMs are microorganisms whose genetic material has been changed utilizing genetic engineering techniques that exhibit enhanced removal efficiency in comparison with the other treatment methodologies. The present review comments the GMMs such as bacteria, algae and fungi and their potential for the removal of toxic heavy metals. This review provides current aspects of different advanced molecular tools which have been used to manipulate micro-organisms through genetic expression for the breakdown of metal compounds in polluted areas. The strategies, major limitations and challenges for genetic engineering of micro-organisms have been reviewed. The current review investigates the approaches working on utilizing genetically modified micro-organisms and effective removal techniques.

Biotechnological advances with applicability in potatoes for resistance against root-knot nematodes

Potato production is negatively affected by root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). There are no commercially available potato cultivars that are resistant to root-knot nematodes. To reduce the reliance on chemical controls, genetic engineering for nematode resistance in potato shows promise. Genetically modified potatoes that silence a parasitism gene or that express toxic protease inhibitors display reduced nematode infections. Modifying potato immune responses may also offer new opportunities for nematode resistance in potato. Plant defense elicitors, including those secreted by modified bacteria, enhanced resistance against root-knot nematodes in potato. The use of transgenic bacteria as delivery vehicles of defense-related molecules presents several possibilities for sophisticated nematode management and because this does not involve transgenic plants, it may garner greater public acceptance.

Realities and hopes in the application of microbial tools in agriculture

The use of microbial tools to sustainably increase agricultural production has received significant attention from researchers, industries and policymakers. Over the past decade, the market access and development of microbial products have been accelerated by (i) the recent advances in plant-associated microbiome science, (ii) the pressure from consumers and policymakers for increasing crop productivity and reducing the use of agrochemicals, (iii) the rising threats of biotic and abiotic stresses, (iv) the loss of efficacy of some agrochemicals and plant breeding programs and (v) the calls for agriculture to contribute towards mitigating climate change. Although the sector is still in its infancy, the path towards effective microbial products is taking shape and the global market of these products has increased faster than that of agrochemicals. Promising results from using microbes either as biofertilizers or biopesticides have been continually reported, fuelling optimism and high expectations for the sector. However, some limitations, often related to low efficacy and inconsistent performance in field conditions, urgently need to be addressed to promote a wider use of microbial tools. We propose that advances in in situ microbiome manipulation approaches, such as the use of products containing synthetic microbial communities and novel prebiotics, have great potential to overcome some of these current constraints. Much more progress is expected in the development of microbial inoculants as areas such as synthetic biology and nano-biotechnology advance. If key technical, translational and regulatory issues are addressed, microbial tools will not only play an important role in sustainably boosting agricultural production over the next few decades but also contribute towards other sustainable development goals, including job creation and mitigation of the impacts of climate change.