Microbial glycoconjugates in organic pollutant bioremediation: recent advances and applications

The large-scale application of organic pollutants (OPs) has contaminated the air, soil, and water. Persistent OPs enter the food supply chain and create several hazardous effects on living systems. Thus, there is a need to manage the environmental levels of these toxicants. Microbial glycoconjugates pave the way for the enhanced degradation of these toxic pollutants from the environment. Microbial glycoconjugates increase the bioavailability of these OPs by reducing surface tension and creating a solvent interface. To date, very little emphasis has been given to the scope of glycoconjugates in the biodegradation of OPs. Glycoconjugates create a bridge between microbes and OPs, which helps to accelerate degradation through microbial metabolism. This review provides an in-depth overview of glycoconjugates, their role in biofilm formation, and their applications in the bioremediation of OP-contaminated environments.

Automated summary

The widespread use of organic pollutants has led to contamination of air, soil, and water, posing hazards to living systems. Microbial glycoconjugates play a key role in enhancing the degradation of these toxicants, increasing bioavailability and accelerating microbial metabolism to mitigate environmental pollution.