Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make
Summary Microbial technologies have provided solutions to key challenges in our daily lives for over a century. In the debate about the ongoing climate change and the need for planetary sustainability, microbial ecology and microbial technologies are rarely considered. Nonetheless, they can bring fo...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Microbial Biotechnology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.13986 |
| _version_ | 1798021934203535360 |
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| author | Willy Verstraete Keren Yanuka‐Golub Nele Driesen Jo De Vrieze |
| author_facet | Willy Verstraete Keren Yanuka‐Golub Nele Driesen Jo De Vrieze |
| author_sort | Willy Verstraete |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary Microbial technologies have provided solutions to key challenges in our daily lives for over a century. In the debate about the ongoing climate change and the need for planetary sustainability, microbial ecology and microbial technologies are rarely considered. Nonetheless, they can bring forward vital solutions to decrease and even prevent long‐term effects of climate change. The key to the success of microbial technologies is an effective, target‐oriented microbiome management. Here, we highlight how microbial technologies can play a key role in both natural, i.e. soils and aquatic ecosystems, and semi‐natural or even entirely human‐made, engineered ecosystems, e.g. (waste) water treatment and bodily systems. First, we set forward fundamental guidelines for effective soil microbial resource management, especially with respect to nutrient loss and greenhouse gas abatement. Next, we focus on closing the water circle, integrating resource recovery. We also address the essential interaction of the human and animal host with their respective microbiomes. Finally, we set forward some key future potentials, such as microbial protein and the need to overcome microphobia for microbial products and services. Overall, we conclude that by relying on the wisdom of the past, we can tackle the challenges of our current era through microbial technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:21:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb01abab5c814f73971bf7680c01d55f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-7915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:21:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbial Biotechnology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb01abab5c814f73971bf7680c01d55f2022-12-22T04:12:29ZengWileyMicrobial Biotechnology1751-79152022-01-0115121522710.1111/1751-7915.13986Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to makeWilly Verstraete0Keren Yanuka‐Golub1Nele Driesen2Jo De Vrieze3Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET) Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Coupure Links 653 Gent B‐9000 BelgiumThe Institute of Applied Research The Galilee Society P.O. Box 437 Shefa‐Amr IsraelAvecom NV Industrieweg 122P Wondelgem 9032 BelgiumCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET) Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Coupure Links 653 Gent B‐9000 BelgiumSummary Microbial technologies have provided solutions to key challenges in our daily lives for over a century. In the debate about the ongoing climate change and the need for planetary sustainability, microbial ecology and microbial technologies are rarely considered. Nonetheless, they can bring forward vital solutions to decrease and even prevent long‐term effects of climate change. The key to the success of microbial technologies is an effective, target‐oriented microbiome management. Here, we highlight how microbial technologies can play a key role in both natural, i.e. soils and aquatic ecosystems, and semi‐natural or even entirely human‐made, engineered ecosystems, e.g. (waste) water treatment and bodily systems. First, we set forward fundamental guidelines for effective soil microbial resource management, especially with respect to nutrient loss and greenhouse gas abatement. Next, we focus on closing the water circle, integrating resource recovery. We also address the essential interaction of the human and animal host with their respective microbiomes. Finally, we set forward some key future potentials, such as microbial protein and the need to overcome microphobia for microbial products and services. Overall, we conclude that by relying on the wisdom of the past, we can tackle the challenges of our current era through microbial technologies.https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.13986 |
| spellingShingle | Willy Verstraete Keren Yanuka‐Golub Nele Driesen Jo De Vrieze Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make Microbial Biotechnology |
| title | Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make |
| title_full | Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make |
| title_fullStr | Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make |
| title_full_unstemmed | Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make |
| title_short | Engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability: choices to make |
| title_sort | engineering microbial technologies for environmental sustainability choices to make |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.13986 |
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