The microbial strategies for the management of chemical pesticides: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Chemical pesticides considered as one of the emerging environmental contaminants that severally affect the human health and soil and water ecosystem. Despite their well-documented adverse effects on fruit quality, soil structure, the emergence of pesticide-resistant pests, and human well-being, chemical pesticides are still widely used for crop protection, particularly in developing countries. Although to manage the chemical pesticides, various traditional approaches have been employed, however the higher cost, and the generation of toxic residues have shifted research attention toward eco-friendly and sustainable bioremediation strategies. Microorganisms including the bacteria, fungi, and algae play a crucial role in pesticide degradation by transforming toxic compounds into less toxic forms. However, to optimize microbial bioremediation, a comprehensive understanding of microbial metabolism and physiology is essential. In this context, omics technologies such as genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, offer powerful tools for elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in pesticide degradation. These approaches facilitate the identification of microorganism, key genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways responsible for the breakdown of pesticide compounds and their by-products. Furthermore, advanced technology like the gene editing can enhance the efficacy of pesticides biodegradation by knocking out undesirable genes or introducing beneficial ones in the microorganisms. The Artificial intelligence also plays a significant role in analysing big data, understanding microbial communities' structure, identifying nature of pesticides and selecting or predicting the microbial species with enhanced pesticides degrading efficacy.

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