Materials–Microbe Synergy for Enhanced Redox Degradation of Environmental Pollutants

The continuous release of contaminants, such as, heavy metals, nitrate, halogenated compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, poses serious threats to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as well as human health. These pollutants typically occur at low concentrations but exhibit high persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and resistance to conventional biological treatment. Microbial degradation offers a sustainable remediation route, yet its efficiency is often limited by slow electron transfer, inadequate metabolic activity, and the recalcitrant structures of many emerging contaminants. Functional materials including biochar, nanoscale zero-valent iron, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and conjugated polymers have shown great promise in accelerating microbial metabolism. Such materials can act as electron shuttles, donors/acceptors, or generate reactive oxygen species to drive both oxidative and reductive pathways. Harnessing material-microbe synergy for the oxidative and reductive degradation of emerging contaminants represents a transformative strategy to overcome current remediation bottlenecks.The goal of this Research Topic is to address the current gap in understanding how material–microbe synergy can be harnessed for both oxidative and reductive degradation of a wide range of contaminants, including heavy metals, nitrate, halogenated compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, PFAS, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Most existing studies focus on either material-mediated oxidation or microbial reduction alone, whereas real-world contamination often involves complex mixtures requiring coupled redox processes for complete detoxification. This Research Topic therefore aims to advance fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms by which functional materials (e.g., biochar, nZVI, MOFs, conjugated polymers) modulate microbial electron transfer and reactive oxygen species generation to drive complementary oxidative and reductive pathways. A further goal is to establish design principles for hybrid material–microbe systems that can simultaneously degrade electron-donating and electron-withdrawing pollutants. Ultimately, this collection seeks to translate mechanistic insights into practical bioremediation strategies for contaminated water, soil, and industrial effluents.This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, and Methods articles focusing on material–microbe synergy for oxidative and reductive degradation of environmental contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, nitrate, halogenated compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, PFAS, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals). Specific themes include but are not limited to: - Material-enhanced microbial oxidation of organic pollutants- Material-enhanced microbial reduction of metals, nitrate, and halogenated compounds- Hybrid systems coupling oxidative and reductive pathways- Mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer and reactive oxygen species generation- Development of biochar, nanoscale zero-valent iron, metal-organic frameworks, and conductive polymers- Field applications and pilot-scale studies. All manuscripts must present novel mechanistic insights and clear links to material–microbe interactions. Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied. Topic editors: Kaikai Zhang, Abdelmageed M Othman, Shengqi Qi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83986/materials-microbe-synergy-for-enhanced-redox-degradation-of-environmental-pollutants