Probiotics Pediococcus acidilactici GR-1 promotes the functional strains and remodels gut microbiota to reduce the Cr(VI) toxicity in a dual-chamber simulated intestinal system.

Numerous animal studies have demonstrated the toxicity of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and the bioremediative effects of probiotics on the composition and functions of gut microbiota. Since the precise mechanisms of Cr(VI) detoxification and its interactions with human gut microbiota were unknown, a novel dual-chamber simulated intestinal (DCSI) system was developed to maintain both the stability of the simulated system and the composition of the gut microbiota. Probiotic GR-1 was found to regulate intestinal gut microbiota, thereby reducing the toxicity of Cr(VI) within the DCSI system. The results indicate that Cr(VI) levels were reduced from 2.260 ± 0.2438 µg/g to 1.7086 ± 0.1950 µg/g in the gut microbiota cell pellet, and Cr(VI) permeability decreased from 0.5521 ± 0.1132 µg/L to 0.3681 ± 0.0178 µg/L after 48 h in simulated gut fluid. Additionally, the removal rate of 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducibility (Vitamin C), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) increased by 50.83%, 31.70%, and 27.56%, respectively, following probiotic treatment. The increase in antioxidant capacity correlated with total Cr removal (P < 0.05, r from -0.80 to 0.73). 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that gut microbiota composition was reshaped by the addition of probiotics, which regulated the recovery of the functional gut microbiota to normal levels, rather than restoring the entire gut microbiota composition for community function. Thus, this study not only demonstrates the feasibility and stability of culturing gut microbiota but also offers a new biotechnological approach to synthesizing functional communities with functional strains for environmental risk management.

Occurrence, characteristics, and microbial community of microplastics in anaerobic sludge of wastewater treatment plants.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) usually contain microplastics (MPs) due to daily influents of domestic and municipal wastewater. Thus, the WWTPs act as a point source of MPs distribution in the environment due to their incapability to remove MPs completely. In this study, MPs occurrence and distribution in anaerobic sludge from WWTPs in different regions (Kaifeng "KHP", Jinan "JSP", and Lanzhou "LGP") were studied. Followed by MPs identification by microscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum. The microbial communities associated with anaerobic sludge and MPs were also explored. The results showed that MPs concentrations were 16.5, 38.5, and 17.2 particles/g of total solids (TS) and transparent MPs accounted for 49.1%, 58.5%, and 48.3% in KHP, JSP, and LGP samples, respectively. Fibers represented the most common shape of MPs in KHP (49.1%), JSP (56.0%), and LGP (69.0%). The FTIR spectroscopy indicated the predominance of polyethylene polymer in 1-5 mm MPs. The Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Planctomycetes were the abundant phyla in all anaerobic sludge. The bacterial genera in KHP and LGP were similar, in which Caldilinea (>23%), Terrimonas (>10%), and Ferruginibacter (>7%) formed the core bacterial genera. While Rhodococcus (15.3%) and Rhodoplanes (10.9%) were dominating in JSP. The archaeal genera Methanosaeta (>69%) and Methanobrevibacter (>10%) were abundant in KHP and LGP sludge. While Methanomethylovorans accounted for 90% of JSP. Acetyltransferase and hydratase were the major bacterial enzymes, while reductase was the key archaeal enzyme in all anaerobic sludge. This study provided the baseline for MPs distribution, characterization, and MPs associated microbes in WWTPs.

Rational management of the plant microbiome for the Second Green Revolution.

The Green Revolution of the mid-20th century transformed agriculture worldwide and has resulted in environmental challenges. A new approach, the Second Green Revolution, seeks to enhance agricultural productivity while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Plant microbiomes play critical roles in plant growth and stress responses, and understanding plant-microbiome interactions is essential for developing sustainable agricultural practices that meet food security and safety challenges, which are among the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of key deterministic processes crucial for developing microbiome management strategies, including the host effect, the facilitator effect, and microbe-microbe interactions. A hierarchical framework for plant microbiome modulation is proposed to bridge the gap between basic research and agricultural applications. This framework emphasizes three levels of modulation: single-strain, synthetic community, and in situ microbiome modulation. Overall, rational management of plant microbiomes has wide-ranging applications in agriculture and can potentially be a core technology for the Second Green Revolution.

Fermented lily bulbs by "Jiangshui" probiotics improves lung health in mice.

Limited application in protecting lung health is attributed to the low levels of active compounds in lily plant bulbs. This study focused on enhancing the active compounds by fermenting Lilium davidii (Lanzhou Lily) bulbs with Limosilactobacillus fermentum GR-3, isolated from Jiangshui. Lily fermented bulbs with strain GR-3 (LFB+GR-3) increased the bioavailability of hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 22-tetrahydroxy-5alpha-cholestan-6-one-3-O-beta-d-allopyranoside, 22-O-(6-deoxy-Alpha-l-mannopyranosyl)-3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-pregn-5-en-20-one, 1-O-trans-feruloylglycerol, and 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid. LFB+GR-3 fraction was employed to treat the mice model exposed to the carbon black nanoparticles (CBNPs). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the deposition of CBNPs and damages in lung tissues were limited in the LFB+GR-3 treatment group, while TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-6 were elevated by 6.9, 4.3, and 7 folds in the CBNP exposure group. In addition, Lactobacillus, Escherichia, Lactococcus, and Muribacter were dominant in the lung microbiota of LFB+GR-3 than the CBNP group. The use of probiotic fermented lily bulbs might be helpful in lung infection treatment.

Supplementation of micro-nutrients to growth media of microalgae-induced biomass and fatty acids composition for clean energy generation.

The presence of harmful heavy metals (HMs) in the aquatic environment can damage the environment and threaten human health. Traditional remediation techniques can have secondary impacts. Thus, more sustainable approaches must be developed. Microalgae have biological properties (such as high photosynthetic efficiency and growth), which are of great advantage in the HMs removal. In this study, the effect of various concentrations (2×, 4×, and 6×) of copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), and zinc (Zn) on microalgae (C. sorokiniana GEEL-01, P. kessleri GEEL-02, D. asymmetricus GEEL-05) was investigated. The microalgal growth kinetics, HMs removal, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphor (TP), and fatty acids (FAs) compositions were analyzed. The highest growth of 1.474 OD680nm and 1.348 OD680nm was obtained at 2× and 4×, respectively, for P. kessleri GEEL-02. P. kessleri GEEL-02 showed high removal efficiency of Cu, Co, and Zn (38.92-55.44%), (36.27-68.38%), and (32.94-51.71%), respectively. Fatty acids (FAs) analysis showed that saturated FAs in C. sorokiniana GEEL-01 and P. kessleri GEEL-02 increased at 2× and 4× concentrations while decreasing at 6×. For P. kessleri GEEL-02, the properties of biodiesel including the degree of unsaturation (UD) and cetane value (CN) increased at 2×, 4×, and 6× as compared to the control. Thus, this study demonstrated that the three microalgae (particularly P. kessleri GEEL-02) are more suitable for nutrient and HMs removal coupled with biomass/biodiesel production.

Application of biochar in microbial fuel cells: Characteristic performances, electron-transfer mechanism, and environmental and economic assessments.

Biochar is a by-product of thermochemical conversion of biomass or other carbonaceous materials. Recently, it has garnered extensive attention for its high application potential in microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems owing to its high conductivity and low cost. However, the effects of biochar on MFC system performance have not been comprehensively reviewed, thereby necessitating the evaluation of the efficacy of biochar application in MFCs. In this review, biochar characteristics were outlined based on recent publications. Subsequently, various applications of biochar in the MFC systems and their probable processes were summarized. Finally, proposals for future applications of biochar in MFCs were explored along with its perspectives and an environmental evaluation in the context of a circular economy. The purpose of this review is to gain comprehensive insights into the application of biochar in the MFC systems, offering important viewpoints on the effective and steady utilization of biochar in MFCs for practical application.

Investigation of the oral microbiome of children associated with dental caries: A systematic study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to investigate the variations in dental caries (DC) related microbiome abnormality and metabolomics shift in children. DESIGN: The patients were divided into two groups healthy control (C) and highly affected DC children based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Saliva samples were collected and used for the taxonomic and functional characterization of oral microbiota. RESULTS: Metatranscriptomics analysis revealed the alterations and composition of oral microbiota in the C and DC groups. Relative abundance in the C group was associated with Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Whereas, the microbial composition in the DC group was found to be considerably altered with increases in the abundance of the Proteobacteria (25%), Fusobacteria (15%), and Cyanobacteria (8%) while decreases in the abundance of Firmicutes (10%) and Bacteroidetes (23%). Alterations in the phylum composition were positively and negatively correlated with several metabolites of sugars (such as fructose, sorbose, ribose, allose, and mannose) and amino acids (such as arginine, lysine, tryptophan, and proline). Moreover, in comparison with the C group, the metabolic shift of the DC group was different with an increase in certain tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates levels, and a decrease in fatty acid. Such alterations can enhance the growth of oral pathogens and contribute to DC development. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that an altered abundance of Actinobacillus, Fusobacterium, and Shuttleworthia can serve as biomarkers of DC in children.

A gluten degrading probiotic Bacillus subtilis LZU-GM relieve adverse effect of gluten additive food and balances gut microbiota in mice.

Gluten accumulation damages the proximal small intestine and causes celiac disease (CeD) which has not been effectively treated except by using a gluten-free diet. In this study, strain Bacillus subtilis LZU-GM was isolated from Pakistani traditional fermented sourdough and could degrade 73.7% of gluten in 24 h in vitro. Strain LZU-GM was employed for practical application to investigate gluten degradation in mice models. The results showed that strain LZU-GM was colonized in mice and the survival rate was around 0.95 % (P < 0.0001). The gluten degradation was 3-fold higher in the small intestine of the strain LZU-GM treated mice group remaining 1511.96 ng/mL of gluten peptides than the untreated mice group (6500.38 ng/mL). Immunochemical analysis showed that gluten-treated mice established positive antigliadin antibodies (AGA) in serum (IgA, IgG, and anti-TG2 antibodies) as compared to the strain LZU-GM treatment group. Furthermore, the number of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, and COX-2 cells decrease in the lamina propria of the strain LZU-GM treatment group (P < 0.0001). Microbial community bar plot analysis showed that Lactobacillus, Dubosiella, and Enterococcus genera were restored and stabilized in the LZU-GM treatment group while Blautia and Ruminococcus were found lower. The oral gavage of probiotic strain LZU-GM might be useful for gluten metabolism in the intestine during digestion and would be a long-term dietary treatment for CeD management.

Fate of five bisphenol derivatives in Chlamydomonas mexicana: Toxicity, removal, biotransformation and microalgal metabolism.

Bisphenols (BPs) are recognized as emerging contaminants because of their estrogenic properties and frequent occurrence in environmental matrices. Here, we evaluated the toxic effects of five common BPs on freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana and removal of the BPs by the alga. Bisphenols -AF (BPAF), -B (BPB), and -Z (BPZ) (96 h, EC50 1.78-12.09 mg·L-1) exhibited higher toxicity to C. mexicana compared to bisphenol -S (BPS) and -F (BPF) (96 h, EC50 30.53-85.48 mg·L-1). In contrast, the mixture of BPs exhibited acute toxicity (96 h, EC50 8.07 mg·L-1). After 14 days, C. mexicana had effectively removed 61%, 99%, 55%, 87%, and 89% of BPS, BPF, BPAF, BPB, and BPZ, respectively, at 1 mg L-1. The biotransformed products of all five BPs were analyzed using UHPLC QTOF, and their toxicity was predicted. All biotransformed products were observed to be less toxic than the parent compounds. The fatty acid composition of C. mexicana after exposure to the BP mixture was predominantly palmitic acid (34.14%), followed by oleic acid (18.9%), and γ-linolenic acid (10.79%). The results provide crucial information on the ecotoxicity of these five BPs and their removal by C. mexicana; the resulting biomass is a potential feedstock for producing biodiesel.

Tumor-targeting engineered probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 inhibits colorectal tumorigenesis and modulates gut microbiota homeostasis in mice.

AIMS: Preliminary studies have identified the use of probiotics as a potential treatment strategy against colorectal cancer (CRC). However, natural probiotics lack direct tumor-targeting and tumor-killing activity in the intestine. This study aimed to construct a tumor-targeting engineered probiotic to combat CRC. MAIN METHODS: Standard adhesion assay was performed to analyze the adherence ability of tumor-binding protein HlpA to CT26 cells. CCK-8 assay, Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry analysis were used for examining cytotoxicity of tumoricidal protein azurin toward CT26 cells. An engineered probiotic Ep-AH harboring azurin and hlpA genes was developed using Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) chassis. Antitumor effects of Ep-AH were evaluated in the azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate salt (DSS)-induced CRC mice. Moreover, analysis of gut microbiota was conducted via fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. KEY FINDINGS: Azurin caused a dose-dependent increase of apoptosis in CT26 cells. Ep-AH treatment reversed weight loss (p < 0.001), fecal occult blood (p < 0.01), and shortening of colon length (p < 0.001) than model group, as well as reducing tumorigenesis by 36 % (p < 0.001). Both Ep-H and Ep-A (EcN expressing HlpA or azurin) were less effective than Ep-AH. Furthermore, Ep-AH enriched the members of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Blautia and Bifidobacterium) and reversed abnormal changes of genes associated with several metabolic pathways (e.g., lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis). SIGNIFICANCE: These results demonstrated that Ep-AH had excellent therapeutic benefits on cancer remission and gut microbiota modulation. Our study provides an effective strategy for anti-CRC treatment.

Nickel exposure induces gut microbiome disorder and serum uric acid elevation.

Serum uric acid elevation has been found in long-term nickel (Ni) exposure occupational workers, but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, the relationship between Ni exposure and uric acid elevation was explored in a cohort of 109 participants composed of a Ni-exposed workers group and a control group. The results showed that Ni concentration (5.70 ± 3.21 µg/L) and uric acid level (355.95 ± 67.87 µmol/L) in the serum were increased in the exposure group with a significant positive correlation (r = 0.413, p < 0.0001). The composition of gut microbiota and metabolome revealed that the abundance of uric acid-lowering bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_Unclassfied and Blautia were reduced while pathogenic bacteria including Parabacteriadies and Escherichia-Shigella were enriched in Ni group, accompanied by impaired intestinal degradation of purines and upregulated biosynthesis of primary bile acids. Consistent with human results, the mice experiments showed that Ni treatment significantly promotes uric acid elevation and systemic inflammation. Lactobacillus and Blautia in gut microbiota were reduced and inflammation-related taxa Alistipes and Mycoplasma were enriched in the Ni treatment. In addition, LC-MS/MS metabolomic analysis indicated that purine nucleosides were accumulated in mice feces, which increased purine absorption and uric acid elevation in the serum. In summary, this study provides evidence that UA elevation was correlated with heavy metals exposure and highlighted the role of gut microbiota in intestinal purine catabolism and in the pathogenesis of heavy metal-induced hyperuricemia.

Influence of Environmental Factors on Salivary Microbiota and Their Metabolic Pathway: Next-Generation Sequencing Approach.

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of periodontitis and long-term heavy metal (HM) exposure on the salivary microbiome. The patients were divided into four groups as Wu Wei control (WWC) group involved healthy individuals, Wu Wei periodontitis (WWP) patients having periodontitis, Jing Chang with metal pollution periodontally healthy individuals (JCP), and Kuang periodontitis (KP). The most abundant bacteria identified at the phylum level in the WWC group were Bacteroides, Firmicutes, and Fusobacteria. Firmicutes were observed in a significantly higher proportion in the KP group than in the WWC, WWP, and JCP. At the genus level, the WWC has major dominating bacterial genera (such as Leptotrichia, Neisseria, and Fusobacterium) which were similar to WWP and KP group. The significant difference (p < 0.05) was found in alpha diversity while in beta diversity, the significant (p = 0.005) results were found among the four groups. The correlation of oral microbiota revealed that HMs present in the soil (Cr, Ni, and Cu) are associated with the growth of Capnocytophaga, Selenomonas, Aggregatibacter, and Campylobacter. The bacterial functions in the KP group were higher in translation and nucleotide metabolism than in the WWP group. This demonstrated that long-term exposure to HMs can influence the salivary microbiota which can alter the functioning, and diversity of bacteria.

Evaluation of aerobic biodegradation of phenanthrene using Pseudomonas turukhanskensis: an optimized study.

The ability of Pseudomonas turukhanskensis GEEL-01 to degrade the phenanthrene (PHE) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Three factors as independent variables (including temperature, pH, and inoculum) were studied at 600 mg/L PHE where the highest growth of P. turukhanskensis GEEL-01 was observed. The optimum operating conditions were evaluated through the fit summary analysis, model summary statistics, fit statistics, ANOVA analysis, and model graphs. The degradation of PHE was monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the metabolites were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the correlation among independent variables with experimental and predicted responses was significant (p < 0.0001). The optimal temperature, pH, and inoculum were 30 ℃, 8, and 6 mL respectively. The HPLC peaks exhibited a reduction in PHE concentration from 600 mg/L to 4.97 mg/L with 99% degradation efficiency. The GC-MS peaks indicated that the major end products of PHE degradation were 1-Hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, salicylic acid, phthalic acid, and catechol. This study demonstrated that the optimized parameters by RSM for P. turukhanskensis GEEL-01 could degrade PHE by phthalic and salicylic acid pathways.

Heavy metals (HMs) pollution in the aquatic environment: Role of probiotics and gut microbiota in HMs remediation.

The presence of heavy metals (HMs) in aquatic ecosystems is a universal concern due to their tendency to accumulate in aquatic organisms. HMs accumulation has been found to cause toxic effects in aquatic organisms. The common HMs-induced toxicities are growth inhibition, reduced survival, oxidative stress, tissue damage, respiratory problems, and gut microbial dysbiosis. The application of dietary probiotics has been evolving as a potential approach to bind and remove HMs from the gut, which is called "Gut remediation". The toxic effects of HMs in fish, mice, and humans with the potential of probiotics in removing HMs have been discussed previously. However, the toxic effects of HMs and protective strategies of probiotics on the organisms of each trophic level have not been comprehensively reviewed yet. Thus, this review summarizes the toxic effects caused by HMs in the organisms (at each trophic level) of the aquatic food chain, with a special reference to gut microbiota. The potential of bacterial probiotics in toxicity alleviation and their protective strategies to prevent toxicities caused by HMs in them are also explained. The dietary probiotics are capable of removing HMs (50-90%) primarily from the gut of the organisms. Specifically, probiotics have been reported to reduce the absorption of HMs in the intestinal tract via the enhancement of intestinal HM sequestration, detoxification of HMs, changing the expression of metal transporter proteins, and maintaining the gut barrier function. The probiotic is recommended as a novel strategy to minimize aquaculture HMs toxicity and safe human health.

Recent advances in lignocellulosic and algal biomass pretreatment and its biorefinery approaches for biochemicals and bioenergy conversion.

As the global demand for sustainable energy increases, lignocellulosic (such as agricultural residues, forest biomass, municipal waste, and dedicated energy crops) and algal (including macroalgae and microalgae) biomass have attracted considerable attention, because of their high availability of carbohydrates. This is a potential feedstock to produce biochemical and bioenergy. Pretreatment of biomass can disrupt their complex structure, increasing conversion efficiency and product yield. Therefore, this review comprehensively discusses recent advances in different pretreatments (physical, chemical, physicochemical, and biological pretreatments) for lignocellulosic and algal biomass and their biorefining methods. Life cycle assessment (LCA) which enables the quantification of the environmental impact assessment of a biorefinery also be introduced. Biorefinery processes such as raw material acquisition, extraction, production, waste accumulation, and waste conversion are all monitored under this concept. Nevertheless, there still exist some techno-economic barriers during biorefinery and extensive research is still needed to develop cost-effective processes.

The role of nutrition in harnessing the immune system: a potential approach to prevent cancer.

Cancer is a vital barrier to increase the life expectancy and the foremost cause of death globally. The initial diagnosis and proper management of cancer can expand the survival rate of individuals. This review provides an in-depth investigation of cancer causes symptoms, types of cancer, and worldwide distribution of cancer. The relation between nutrition (i.e., various food items) and cancer is also emphasized to offer a framework of nutrition management in different cancer types. The microbiota is closely associated with the occurrence of cancer. Thus, genomics of intestinal microbes and nutrigenomics have been discussed based on the reported meta-analysis studies. A dramatic increase in cancer rates has been observed due to intake of alcohol, microbial infections, and deficiency of nutrition. Malnutrition is a substantial problem in cancer patients linked with improper treatment and increased morbidity. The detail studies of cancer and nutrigenomics are an eminent approach to comprehend the relation between microbes and the consumption of certain food types which can further reduce the cancer risk. The incorporation of specific nutrients and probiotics improved the gut microbial health, increased life expectancy, and also decreased the incidence of tumorigenesis in individuals.

Biochar addition augmented the microbial community and aided the digestion of high-loading slaughterhouse waste: Active enzymes of bacteria and archaea.

The biogas production (BP), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), microbial communities, and microbes' active enzymes were studied upon the addition of biochar (0-1.5%) at 6% and 8% slaughterhouse waste (SHW) loadings. The 0.5% biochar enhanced BP by 1.5- and 1.6-folds in 6% and 8% SHW-loaded reactors, respectively. Increasing the biochar up to 1.5% caused a reduction in BP at 6% SHW. However, the BP from 8% of SHW was enhanced by 1.4-folds at 1.5% biochar. The VFAs production in all 0.5% biochar amended reactors was highly significant compared to control (p-value < 0.05). The biochar addition increased the bacterial and archaeal diversity at both 6% and 8% SHW loadings. The highest number of OTUs at 0.5% biochar were 567 and 525 in 6% and 8% SHW, respectively. Biochar prompted the Clostridium abundance and increased the lyases and transaminases involved in the degradation of lipids and protein, respectively. Biochar addition improved the Methanosaeta and Methanosphaera abundance in which the major enzymes were reductase and hydrogenase. The archaeal enzymes showed mixed acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis.

Effect of dibutyl phthalate on microalgal growth kinetics, nutrients removal, and stress enzyme activities.

The dibutyl phthalate (DPB) is an emerging plasticizer contaminant that disrupts the biological processes of primary producers, especially phytoplankton. In this study, two microalgal species (Chlorella sp. GEEL-08 and Tetradesmus dimorphus GEEL-04) were exposed to various concentrations of DBP extending from 0 to 100 mg/L. The growth kinetics, N-nitrate, and P-phosphate removal efficiency were assessed. The response enzymes such as malonaldehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also investigated. The results revealed that the Chlorella sp. GEEL-08 at 10 mg/L concentration of DBP exhibited higher growth (0.88 OD680nm) compared to T. dimorphus GEEL-04 (0.80 OD680nm). More than 94% of N and P were removed from culture media by both microalgal species. The DBP (>50 mg/L) significantly exacerbates the growth of both microalgae species and the growth inhibition ratio was in the range of 3.6%-25.9%. The SOD activity and MDA were higher in T. dimorphus culture media than in the culture media of Chlorella sp. The results reflect the hazard and the risk of plasticizers on primary producers in the ecosystem.

Algae: a frontline photosynthetic organism in the microplastic catastrophe.

Recalcitrancy in microplastics (MPs) contributes to white pollution. Bioremediation can remove MPs and facilitate environmental sustainability. Although recent studies have been conducted on the interaction of algae and MPs, the role of algae in MP removal with the simultaneous implementation of 'omics studies has not yet been discussed. Here, we review the adverse effects of MPs on the environment and possible approaches to remove them from the aquatic environment by using algae. We highlight the mechanism of MP biodegradation, the algal species that have been used, and how these are affected by MPs. We propose that algomics, characterization of biodegrading enzymes, and genetic engineering could be effective strategies for optimizing MP degradation.