Functional Metagenomics in Environmental Bioremediation

Abstract

The search for novel microorganisms capable of remediation of polluted sites and for functional genes involved in the biodegradation and biotransformation processes is of large interest for environmental microbiologists. Functional metagenomics is a robust approach to study the genes involved in these processes, and it significantly adds information to sequence-based metagenomics. Apart from gaining valuable information about functional genes in bioremediation and biotransformation processes, new biodegradative pathways may also be identified through functional metagenomics. However, useful information and unbiased results through functional metagenomics greatly depend on the cloning vector-host systems that are chosen in the study and, thereafter, the successful expression of the gene of interest. Further, on-site bioremediation studies using the metagenomics approach can provide useful information about genes expressed by indigenous microorganisms, which will help in biostimulation studies. Understanding the current research using functional metagenomics, the strategies used to combat its limitations, and the tools and technologies for further improvement of functional metagenomics is the need of the hour in the field of environmental engineering.