Engineering natural microbial communities: harnessing synthetic communities for bioremediation

Microbial bioremediation, a technology using microbial metabolism to degrade or transform environmental pollutants, has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its eco-friendly and cost-effective advantages. In comparison with traditional single-strain-based bioremediation, microbial communities can remarkably enhance bioremediation. However, natural microbial communities are not optimally structured for bioremediation purposes. Given that the composition and structure of a microbial community directly influence the efficiency and pathway of pollutant metabolism, the artificial design of microbial communities is of great significance for improving bioremediation. Synthetic communities (SynComs), as artificially designed microbial consortia, can significantly enhance bioremediation efficiency and environmental adaptability through metabolic interactions among their constituent strains. Constructing SynComs generally requires a precise design of their composition and structure to optimize their metabolic functions. Here, we review the mechanisms by which SynComs enhance bioremediation, the prevalent strategies for constructing SynComs, and the latest advancements in metabolic modeling techniques for SynCom design.