Chapter 6.7 - Microbial Communities Driving Pollution Degradation in Contaminated Environments: Metagenomic Insights

Abstract

Population growth and industrialization have aided in the development of different environmental toxins and the subsequent contamination of the environment. Biotechnology and microbial ecology have revolutionized the field of metagenomics, which has opened up new avenues for the use of genomics in environmental remediation. Contaminant biodegradation is a long-term and cost-effective solution to environmental contamination. Before the beginning of next-generation sequencing (NGS), the field of environmental metagenomics was extremely limited. NGS enables researchers to profile complete microbial communities from complex samples, find new organisms, and investigate the microbial diversity dynamic nature in changing environments. Traditional or culture-dependent molecular techniques are presently used to characterize contaminants detoxifying/degrading microorganisms, but these techniques can be biased and do not always provide reliable information. Though, using culture-independent molecular techniques, currently evolving metagenomic approaches, such as NGS technologies, can provide accurate data and demonstrate very valuable information about the environmental microorganism's metagenome, metagenomic and bioinformatic approaches are among the most advanced tools for profiling microbial communities capable of removing metals from wastewater. In this chapter, metagenomic approaches are explored as a means of profiling and understanding microbial communities. Metagenomics plays an important role in the development of sustainable and effective bioremediation strategies.