The Role Of Microbial Communities In Environmental Engineering Systems

Microbial communities refer to a structural unit comprising various microbial populations, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, and viruses, within a certain area or habitat. While microbial community research has found broad applications across diverse fields, its integration into environmental engineering systems remains relatively underexplored. Advances in microbial analysis technologies and methods are enabling better integration of microbial research findings into the design and optimization of environmental engineering systems. Despite these advancements, significant gaps remain in our understanding of how microbial communities can be harnessed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of waste treatment processes. Current studies have shown promising results in areas such as contaminant biotransformation and resource recovery, yet the full potential of microbial communities in these systems is far from being realized. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing innovative solutions to global environmental challenges.

This research topic aims to enhance our understanding of microbial communities' roles in contaminant biotransformation, resource recovery, and antibiotic resistance within environmental engineering systems. By collecting and analyzing microbial data from various engineering systems, including those treating sewage sludge, animal manure, and water/wastewater from different sources, we seek to answer specific questions about the dynamics and functions of these communities. The goal is to promote more efficient and effective treatment processes by leveraging the unique capabilities of microbial communities.

To gather further insights into the integration of microbial communities in environmental engineering systems, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The role of microbial communities in solid waste treatment systems.
- The role of microbial communities in water and wastewater treatment systems.
- Microbial community involvement in the spread or control of antibiotic resistance.
- Dynamics of microbial communities in ecosystems relevant to engineering system design.

Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies solely based on amplicon (e.g. 16S rRNA) profiles. Contributions should be driven by a clear hypothesis and experimentation, and provide insights into the microbiological system or process being studied.