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Bioremediation

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.

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Recombinant DNA technology called transgenesis is often used to add a foreign gene or remove a detrimental gene from an organism. Such genetically modified organisms are called transgenic organisms.
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Updated: May 28, 2026

Apoplast-Extraction Based Method to Improve the Purity of Plant Produced Recombinant Protein

Apoplast-Extraction Based Method to Improve the Purity of Plant Produced Recombinant Protein

Published on: July 5, 2024

Toward protein engineering for phytoremediation: possibilities and challenges.

¹Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA. jjez@wustl.edu

International Journal of Phytoremediation

|November 4, 2011

Summary

Protein engineering and directed evolution can redesign enzymes for environmental cleanup. This review explores methods for microbes and plants to remediate pollutants, highlighting future potential.

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A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation

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Published on: September 27, 2016

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Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Apoplast-Extraction Based Method to Improve the Purity of Plant Produced Recombinant Protein

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Published on: July 5, 2024

A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation

A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation

Published on: September 27, 2016

Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Environmental Science
Molecular Biology

Background:

Enzyme redesign is crucial for environmental remediation applications.
Rational protein engineering and directed evolution are key molecular techniques.
Current applications primarily focus on microbial systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To review molecular methods for altering and improving protein function.
To highlight enzyme engineering applications in bioremediation.
To explore the potential and challenges of applying these methods to phytoremediation.

Main Methods:

Review of rational protein engineering techniques.
Review of directed evolution methods.
Analysis of genomic and metabolic engineering strategies.

Main Results:

Molecular methods can tailor enzyme properties for specific bioremediation tasks.
Successful examples exist for microbial remediation of pollutants.
Significant potential and challenges exist for translating these to plant-based phytoremediation.

Conclusions:

Protein engineering and directed evolution offer powerful tools for environmental cleanup.
Integrating these with genomic and metabolic engineering can design effective remediation systems.
Future research should focus on overcoming challenges in plant-based bioremediation.