Soil Interfaces of Resistance: Heavy Metals, Microbial Ecology, and Sustainable Bioremediation Strategies within the One Health framework

The field of environmental microbiology is increasingly focusing on the complex interactions linking soil contamination, microbial ecology, and the spread of antibiotic resistance. The global escalation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has traditionally been attributed to the clinical misuse of antibiotics; however, recent research underscores the pivotal role of environmental factors such as heavy metal pollution in shaping microbial resistomes. Mining and industrial activities have introduced substantial metal loads into terrestrial ecosystems, where these contaminants can act as co-selective agents, maintaining antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) even in the absence of antibiotic exposure. Studies using metagenomics and functional assays reveal intricate metal-antibiotic resistance linkages and microbial adaptation mechanisms, yet significant knowledge gaps persist in understanding their ecological dynamics, field-level implications, and mitigation pathways. These challenges call for integrative research approaches bridging microbiology, environmental biotechnology, and the One Health perspective.This Research Topic aims to explore the mechanisms, consequences, and mitigation avenues of antibiotic resistance and heavy metal co-selection in soil systems. It seeks to address how microbial communities respond to combined contamination pressures, how bioremediation strategies—particularly those employing plant-associated microbes and microbial consortia—can attenuate contamination, and how circular bioeconomy strategies such as the reuse of organic residues can be optimized to ensure biosafety. Key objectives include elucidating the interplay between resistance determinants and metal stressors, advancing methodological tools for monitoring microbial dynamics, and promoting translational approaches that align biotechnology with ecological restoration and public health protection.To gather further insights on the environmental determinants of antibiotic resistance and sustainable soil management, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Co-selection and co-resistance mechanisms between heavy metals and antibiotics• Role of plant growth-promoting bacteria and microbial consortia in bioremediation and phytostabilization• Impact of waste-derived amendments (e.g., sewage sludge, biofertilizers) on soil microbiomes and resistomes• Advances in culturomics, metagenomics, and functional assays for resistance monitoring• Risk assessment and biosafety frameworks consistent with One Health principles• Field-based and translational studies in historically contaminated or industrially impacted sites• Microbial biotechnologies for pollution attenuation and soil ecosystem resilience Topic editors: Pedro Antonio Jimenez Gomez, Daniel González Reguero, Marina Robas Mora, Efren Garcia-Ordiales, Pablo Higueras Higueras Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81254/soil-interfaces-of-resistance-heavy-metals-microbial-ecology-and-sustainable-bioremediation-strategies-within-the-one-health-framework