Unlocking secrets of microbial ecotoxicology: recent achievements and future challenges

Environmental pollution is one of the main challenges faced by humanity. By their ubiquity and vast range of metabolic capabilities, microorganisms are affected by pollution with consequences on their host organisms and on the functioning of their environment. They also play key roles in the fate of pollutants through the degradation, transformation, and transfer of organic or inorganic compounds. Thus, they are crucial for the development of nature-based solutions to reduce pollution and of bio-based solutions for environmental risk assessment of chemicals. At the intersection between microbial ecology, toxicology, and biogeochemistry, microbial ecotoxicology is a fast-expanding research area aiming to decipher the interactions between pollutants and microorganisms. This perspective paper gives an overview of the main research challenges identified by the Ecotoxicomic network within the emerging One Health framework and in the light of ongoing interest in biological approaches to environmental remediation and of the current state of the art in microbial ecology. We highlight prevailing knowledge gaps and pitfalls in exploring complex interactions among microorganisms and their environment in the context of chemical pollution and pinpoint areas of research where future efforts are needed. Overview of the main research challenges at different scales for microbial ecotoxicology as identified by the Ecotoxicomic network in the light of the current state of the art.

Automated summary

Environmental pollution is a major challenge faced by humanity, and microorganisms play crucial roles in the degradation, transformation, and transfer of pollutants. Microbial ecotoxicology is an expanding research area that aims to understand the interactions between pollutants and microorganisms. This perspective paper provides an overview of the research challenges in microbial ecotoxicology and highlights areas where further efforts are needed.