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.
Bacteria in food can make you seriously ill, which is why it is so important for the facilities that produce your food to ensure proper hygiene in their production lines. A new doctoral thesis from NTNU has investigated how ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 5, 2026
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When snow blankets the landscape, it may seem like life slows down. But beneath the surface, an entire world of activity is unfolding.
Earth Sciences
Feb 3, 2026
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Dangerous concentrations of algae such as "red tides" have been consistently emerging in locations around the world. A region in Southern Australia is experiencing a nine-month toxic algae bloom that spans thousands of miles ...
Environment
Feb 1, 2026
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408
Wildfire causes most living things to flee or die, but some fungi thrive afterward, even feasting on charred remains. New University of California, Riverside research finds the secret to post-fire flourishing hidden in their ...
Ecology
Jan 29, 2026
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Switching to biodegradable plastics could slash toxic pollution by more than a third and dramatically reduce global waste by mid-century, but only if cities and companies invest in the right disposal systems, a Yale School ...
Environment
Jan 28, 2026
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Underground environments like soil and aquifers teem with microbial life. These tiny microbes play a big role in cycling nutrients and breaking down or transforming pollutants. However, scientists still struggle to reliably ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 13, 2026
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Australian researchers have discovered a hidden climate superpower of trees. Their bark harbors trillions of microbes that help scrub the air of greenhouse and toxic gases.
Earth Sciences
Jan 8, 2026
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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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23
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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20
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
0
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