About this Research Topic

Background

On the big stages of pilot- and field-scale environmental engineering applications, microbes play starring roles in processes underpinning technologies such as biological wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation, resource recovery, and biosynthesis of fuels and valuable materials. Though the need to enhance established microbiotechnologies remains, scientists and engineers must continue to address society’s evolving environmental challenges. From monitoring and detoxifying emerging environmental contaminants (e.g., pharmaceuticals and personal care products, 1,4-dioxane, salts, microplastics, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), to wastewater surveillance monitoring and the valorization of wastes, the need to develop and demonstrate environmental solutions at pilot-, and field-, and community-scale is of paramount importance. Indeed, microbiotechnologies have a major role in addressing a number of environmental challenges whether current or future, and it is exciting to see microbes shining on big stages.

Scientists and engineers alike are only beginning to fully understand and subsequently utilize the genetic and metabolic potential of microbes and mixed communities particularly in pilot- or field-scale engineering applications. As such, the overarching goal of this special Research Topic is to showcase the indispensable role that microbiotechnology plays in advancing modern environmental engineering solutions relevant to pilot- or field-scale applications for current and future challenges. An additional goal of this special Research Topic is to integrate perspectives from practicing engineers to help improve the roadmap for translating emerging microbiological, molecular, and mechanistic knowledge obtained from advanced microbial tools (e.g., multi-omics approaches) into engineering principles and applications to guide the advancement of microbiotechnologies at larger scales. In highlighting studies that seek to discover, characterize, elucidate, and quantify microbial processes in natural or engineered systems, the capacity to understand, model, and predict microbial phenomena is improved, thereby positively impacting environmental solutions.

This special Research Topic accepts original research, methods, opinion, perspective, and mini-review manuscripts. Special emphasis is placed on manuscripts detailing pilot- or field-scale studies seeking to demonstrate novel and advanced engineering applications involving microbiotechnology; bench-scale studies that seek to establish a foundation for future larger-scale studies are also welcome. The topic themes include, but are not limited to the following:
• Multi-omics analysis of microbial communities in natural (e.g., groundwater) and/or engineered systems (e.g., wastewater treatment systems) that inform engineering design, operation, and performance monitoring
• Identification and characterization of novel microorganisms and/or mechanisms that play a direct role in environmental engineering applications at pilot- and/or field-scales
• Microbial transformation of emerging contaminants in natural and/or engineered systems in pilot- or field-scale applications
• Microbial genetic, biochemical, and cellular regulation in natural and/or engineered systems that impact engineering design, operation, and performance monitoring
• Wastewater environmental surveillance monitoring
• The development and use of advanced microbial methods for environmental and bioprocess performance monitoring for pilot- or field-scale applications
• Opinions, perspectives, and mini-reviews on integrating microbiological knowledge and engineering principles

Fabrizio is currently employed by a company, New England Biolabs; currently at their affiliations listed above Andrea, Rain, and Susan have had external affiliations with private companies through supporting research efforts sponsored by these companies. For instance, Andrea and Rain collaborate on a pilot-scale test that is partially funded by the engineering company Jacobs.

Keywords: Microbiotechnology, environmental engineering, environmental engineering microbiology, bioremediation, biodegradation, contaminants, resource recovery, biosynthesis, waste valorization, microbial metabolism, microbial monitoring, molecular tools, omics, pilot- and field-scale applications, wastewater environmental surveillance monitoring

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.

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