About this Research Topic
The field of ecosystems and biodiversity sustainability is at a critical juncture, where the integration of synthetic biology offers promising avenues for addressing environmental challenges. Current problems in this area include the degradation of natural habitats, loss of biodiversity, and the impact of climate change on ecosystems. Recent studies have shown that synthetic biology can play a pivotal role in mitigating these issues by engineering microorganisms for bioremediation, developing metabolic models to understand microbial interactions, and creating renewable biocatalysts for water reclamation. However, despite these advancements, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of how synthetic biology can be fully harnessed to promote environmental sustainability. Ongoing debates focus on the ethical implications, long-term impacts, and scalability of these technologies. There is a pressing need for comprehensive reviews that synthesize the latest evidence, identify knowledge gaps, and propose new directions for research.
This research topic aims to provide a platform for high-quality research and review articles that explore the intersection of synthetic biology and environmental sustainability. The main objectives are to highlight recent advances, emphasize important directions for future inquiries, and address specific questions such as: How can synthetic biology be used to enhance bioremediation processes? What are the potential risks and benefits of deploying engineered microorganisms in natural ecosystems? By answering these questions, the research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how synthetic biology can be leveraged for sustainable environmental solutions.
To gather further insights into the intersection of synthetic biology and environmental sustainability, we welcome empirical research articles and review articles, addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The origin, evolution, distribution, and function of extremophiles and microorganisms in exotic environments
- Dynamics of specific habitats and ecosystems in changing environments, especially in light of climate change
- Metabolic models and "omics" data showing interactions between microorganisms and their communities in different environments, including polluted micro- and macro-environments
- Bioremediation of recalcitrant compounds in soils, freshwater, and marine environments
- Microbial, insect-mediated, and enzymatic degradation of natural and synthetic polymers
- Renewable biocatalysis for water reclamation and reuse
- Waste-to-energy/value biotransformation and resource recovery
- Disease control to protect public health or agricultural systems
- Consortia of microbes (natural and engineered) that contribute to environmental sustainability.
- Manuscripts related to synthetic biology innovations in bioremediation and environmental sustainability, and challenges and opportunities to advance environmental sustainability through synthetic biology, are welcomed.
This research topic aims to provide a platform for high-quality research and review articles that explore the intersection of synthetic biology and environmental sustainability. The main objectives are to highlight recent advances, emphasize important directions for future inquiries, and address specific questions such as: How can synthetic biology be used to enhance bioremediation processes? What are the potential risks and benefits of deploying engineered microorganisms in natural ecosystems? By answering these questions, the research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how synthetic biology can be leveraged for sustainable environmental solutions.
To gather further insights into the intersection of synthetic biology and environmental sustainability, we welcome empirical research articles and review articles, addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The origin, evolution, distribution, and function of extremophiles and microorganisms in exotic environments
- Dynamics of specific habitats and ecosystems in changing environments, especially in light of climate change
- Metabolic models and "omics" data showing interactions between microorganisms and their communities in different environments, including polluted micro- and macro-environments
- Bioremediation of recalcitrant compounds in soils, freshwater, and marine environments
- Microbial, insect-mediated, and enzymatic degradation of natural and synthetic polymers
- Renewable biocatalysis for water reclamation and reuse
- Waste-to-energy/value biotransformation and resource recovery
- Disease control to protect public health or agricultural systems
- Consortia of microbes (natural and engineered) that contribute to environmental sustainability.
- Manuscripts related to synthetic biology innovations in bioremediation and environmental sustainability, and challenges and opportunities to advance environmental sustainability through synthetic biology, are welcomed.
Keywords: Synthetic Biology, Environmental Sustainability, Bioremediation, Metabolic models
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.
