Biodegradation is the biologically mediated transformation and mineralization of organic or inorganic substances by microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and archaea, often via extracellular and intracellular enzymatic pathways. It proceeds through sequential steps including depolymerization, primary degradation to smaller intermediates, and ultimate mineralization to CO₂, CH₄, H₂O, inorganic salts, and biomass under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In environmental and engineering contexts, biodegradation governs the fate of pollutants, natural organic matter, and synthetic materials, and is a central process in bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and life-cycle assessment of chemicals and polymers.
An international team led by University of Alicante (UA) scientists has found that increasing the share of organic farming may improve crop yields and help maintain soil health and biodiversity. Published in the journal Nature ...
Agriculture
Mar 18, 2026
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17
Plastic trash has reached the world's most remote locations, from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the summit of Everest. Hundreds of plastic-eating microbes that could help us clean up have been discovered over the past ...
Evolution
Mar 18, 2026
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354
Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter worldwide. Trillions are discarded every year in cities, parks, beaches, along railway tracks and roadside environments. Despite their small size, these remnants of smoked ...
Biodegradable plastics could help alleviate the plastic waste crisis that is polluting the environment and harming our health. But how long plastics take to degrade and how environmental bacteria work together to break them ...
Environment
Mar 16, 2026
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61
A drug to treat Parkinson's disease can be made from waste plastic bottles using a pioneering method, a study shows. The approach harnesses the power of bacteria to transform post-consumer plastic into L-DOPA, a frontline ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 16, 2026
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188
Wet wipes conveniently clean and sanitize soiled surfaces and skin. Because some labels do not clearly indicate how consumers should dispose of them, these small cloths are often flushed down the toilet and released by sewage ...
Environment
Mar 13, 2026
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68
A study led by William & Mary's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS and published in FEMS Microbiology Ecology reveals that microbial communities growing on microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay carry the genetic ...
Ecology
Mar 11, 2026
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10
Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have developed a simplified version of biodegradable nanoparticles that can "educate" the immune system to find and destroy disease-causing cells throughout the body. The study, ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 11, 2026
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14
By converting plastic waste into a microbe-friendly food source, scientists have built an upcycling pipeline that turns the waste into a variety of useful products. The findings are detailed in the journal Nature Sustainability.
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 4, 2026
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39
People and animals create lots of waste that is usually sent to landfills, incinerated, or stored in engineered ponds such as manure lagoons. Now, researchers report a potential removal method using insects, specifically ...
Biotechnology
Mar 4, 2026
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