Microalgal-Bacterial Synergy for Sustainable Wastewater Remediation and Bioenergy Production

Microalgal–bacterial consortia have emerged as a promising frontier in environmental biotechnology, offering an eco-integrated solution to the challenges of wastewater remediation and sustainable energy generation. Conventional treatment technologies struggle to meet the dual demand for pollutant removal and renewable energy recovery. Recent studies have demonstrated that the metabolic interplay between microalgae and bacteria can drive efficient nutrient uptake, organic matter degradation, and pollutant detoxification. Microalgae contribute to oxygenation and biosorption of heavy metals, while bacteria facilitate biodegradation and electron transfer in bioelectrochemical systems. Despite growing interest, significant gaps remain in understanding the optimization and scalability of such systems, particularly in dealing with complex industrial effluents such as those from the tannery and chemical sectors. Advances in co-culturing approaches, biofilm engineering, and hybrid reactor design are therefore crucial to translate laboratory successes into robust, sustainable technologies.This Research Topic aims to explore and optimize the synergistic relationships between microalgae and bacteria for sustainable wastewater treatment and bioenergy production. It seeks to highlight innovative strategies that enhance pollutant degradation efficiency, nutrient recovery, and bioelectricity generation in microbial fuel cells. The goal is to identify key bioprocess parameters, engineering controls, and modeling frameworks, such as Response Surface Methodology, that can maximize system performance. By deepening the understanding of microalgal metabolism, bacterial electrogenesis, and interspecies communication, this Research Topic aspires to guide the development of integrated biotechnological solutions aligned with the principles of a circular economy and global sustainability.To gather further insights into the potential and boundaries of microalgal–bacterial synergy for bioremediation and bioenergy applications, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Optimization of microalgae–bacteria co-cultivation systems for industrial and tannery wastewater• Mechanistic studies on pollutant removal pathways, biosorption, and biodegradation kinetics• Enhancement of microbial fuel cell performance through microalgal integration• Modeling and statistical optimization using tools such as Response Surface Methodology• Bioreactor and process design for large-scale implementation and real-world validation• Life-cycle assessment, techno-economic, and sustainability analysis of integrated systems• Exploration of genetic and metabolic engineering for improved consortium stability and productivityPlease 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: Bin Ji, Pengfei Cheng, Zhen Zhang, Gul Muhammad Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82979/microalgal-bacterial-synergy-for-sustainable-wastewater-remediation-and-bioenergy-production