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.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are not called "forever chemicals" for nothing. These fluorine-containing organic molecules are difficult to break down and are likely to remain in the environment for ...
Environment
Jan 6, 2026
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21
A study led by researchers at the Department of Civil Engineering at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has uncovered alarming evidence that soil worldwide is emerging as a significant reservoir and amplifier of high-risk ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 22, 2025
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19
Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a "top-down" synthetic microbiome strategy to enrich microbial consortia capable of efficient lignin degradation from straw ...
Ecology
Dec 17, 2025
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21
Scientists have tested, for the first time, how biodegradable wet wipes break down when flushed rather than composted, discovering that most wipes remain after five weeks—a finding the research team say challenges the marketing ...
Environment
Dec 15, 2025
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21
Methanol is an ideal feedstock for bio-manufacturing. Converting it into lactate, a monomer for biodegradable plastic, offers a promising strategy for addressing the challenge of white pollution. However, it remains difficult ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 5, 2025
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26
Chemical engineering researchers at the University of Waterloo have joined forces to take on a pressing environmental problem by using synthetic biology to turn plastic waste into valuable resources. The multidisciplinary ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 24, 2025
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24
Whether you're a home gardener or an industrial farmer, you might be familiar with mulching films—plastic sheets laid over the soil to protect seedlings and promote crop growth. But like many other plastic materials, these ...
Biotechnology
Nov 21, 2025
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319
With the continuous expansion of industrial and agricultural activities, the contamination of water bodies and soils by heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) has become a severe global environmental challenge. These ...
Ecology
Oct 29, 2025
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21
How do you turn toxic waste into fuel? Ask the microbe. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, together with a colleague from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 29, 2025
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60
When 115,000 tons of food waste hit Surrey's processing facility each year, an invisible army goes to work—billions of microbes convert everything from banana peels to leftover pizza into renewable natural gas (RNG). Now, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 23, 2025
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