Biosurfactants - A Next Generation Biomolecules for Enhanced Biodegradation of Organic Pollutants

  • 3,769

    Total Downloads

  • 19k

    Total Views and Downloads

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Some microorganisms produce a range of amphipathic molecules, which accumulate at the interfaces between hydrophobic and hydrophilic phases. Their function is to decrease surface and interfacial tensions to form emulsions, enabling the formation of micelles. Biosurfactants differ greatly in their structures and charges, partly as a result of the large variations in their origins. The chemical structure of biosurfactants consists of both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic moiety. Bio-surfactants have numerous advantages over chemical surfactants with less toxicity, are easily degradable, stable at higher pH and temperature, and result in greater foaming.

Furthermore, they can be synthesized using cheap raw materials such as agro-wastes and industrial waste materials, and may therefore be indirectly contributing to the reduction of other waste materials as well. Many of the indigenous microbial strains (hydrocarbon utilizing native microorganisms) can survive in a hydrocarbon-rich environment by producing surface active biological molecules, which help their survival in those extreme conditions. Bio-surfactants are used in many industries/applications including detergent industry, pharmaceutical, oil recovery, bioremediation, etc. Deployment of bio-surfactant in the bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminants is gaining attention due to their significant outcomes, such as increasing bioavailability, effective removal efficiency, biocompatibility, reducing the uses of toxic chemicals (chemical surfactant), etc.

The hydrophobic hydrocarbons including crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons, and other types of immiscible environmental pollutants are causing adverse effects to the environment as well as to human health. Many of these hydrocarbons are classified as toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic. The detrimental impact of these hydrocarbons is increased due to the difficulties in removing them from the environment. Conventional remediation methods are based on chemical, physical or biological activity. These remediation processes suffer from many limitations due to the higher cost, slow process, and ineffectiveness. With the development of sustainable methods (eco-friendly approaches), the search for efficient techniques such as integrated bioremediation methods (i.e., Electrokinetic bioremediation, enzyme/biosurfactant mediated bioremediation/biodegradation, functionalized nanomaterials enhanced bioremediation, etc) has increased.

Biosurfactants can enhance the bioavailability of hydrocarbon molecules by micelle formation and increase in their mobility, thus improving hydrocarbon biodegradation. This Research Topic aims to address the challenges related to a series of parameters involved in the biosurfactant enhanced bioremediation of toxic hydrocarbons including the isolation, identification of novel biosurfactant producing microorganisms, and their impact on the removal of different environmental pollutants.

This Research Topic particularly welcomes original research article, and reviews on the following themes:
• Recent advances in screening and identifications of different types of biosurfactants.
• Advanced production methods and their environmental applications.
• Advanced molecular methods for the identification and production of biosurfactants at a large level.
• Recent and advanced fermentation methods for the production of biosurfactants by using cheap raw materials.
• Biosurfactant enhanced bioremediations of different types of hydrocarbons such as crude oil, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, n-alkanes, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, asphaltene, naphthene, and other petroleum products.
• Biosurfactants mediated bioremediation of soil and water contaminated with different types of environmental pollutants, xenobiotics compounds.
• Microbial enhanced oil recovery including light and heavy oil using biosurfactants as a dispersant.
• Environmental applications including oil tankers cleaning, heavy metal bioremediations, oil spill bioremediations.

Please note that all submissions to the Microbiotechnology section need to explore a clear hypothesis to be considered for review and have a microbial focus.

Keywords: Biosurfactants, Biodegradation, Hydrocarbons, Bioremediation, Integrated Approach

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and they fall under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

      In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 19kTopic views
  • 14kArticle views
  • 3,769Article downloads
View impact