Harnessing Fungal Biotechnology for Environmental Cleanup: A Review of Recent Advancements in Bioremediation

Abstract

Background: The rising environmental burden from industrial waste, agrochemicals, and heavy metals has created an urgent need for sustainable remediation strategies. Among various biotechnological approaches, fungal bioremediation has gained increasing attention for its effectiveness, versatility, and eco-friendliness. Fungi possess unique metabolic and enzymatic systems that enable them to degrade, transform, or immobilize a wide range of environmental contaminants. Objective: This review critically examines recent advances in fungal biotechnology for environmental cleanup. It focuses on biochemical pathways, enzymatic systems, and engineering methods that boost fungi’s bioremediation capacity, while also highlighting future research directions for large-scale practical use. Scope and Content: The review starts by exploring the mechanistic basis of fungal bioremediation, emphasizing the role of oxidative enzymes such as laccases, manganese peroxidases, and lignin peroxidases, which are crucial in breaking down complex organic pollutants including dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, and phenolic compounds. The natural resilience of fungi in tough environments further improves their suitability as bioremediators. Recent research is reviewed to demonstrate the metabolic versatility of fungi, especially white-rot and filamentous species, in degrading both organic and inorganic pollutants. The review also discusses innovations in metabolic engineering aimed at optimizing enzyme production for pollutant degradation and expanding substrate specificity. Biosorption and bioaccumulation mechanisms are highlighted, where fungal biomass or cell wall components bind and sequester heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic. The potential of fungal mycelia in biofilm formation is examined as a natural filtration system for wastewater treatment. The review further explores the synergistic interactions between fungi and other organisms (e.g., bacteria, plants) in co-culture systems that increase degradation efficiency. Additionally, emerging tools such as genome editing (CRISPR), nanobiotechnology, and systems biology are evaluated for their roles in advancing fungal bioremediation potential. Challenges and Future Directions: While significant progress has been made, key challenges remain, including variability in field performance, scalability issues, and incomplete understanding of environmental and genomic interactions. The review calls for interdisciplinary research integrating omics technologies, environmental modeling, and bioinformatics to optimize fungal performance in complex environmental conditions. Conclusion: Fungal biotechnology offers a powerful, nature-based solution to environmental remediation. Its enzymatic diversity, adaptability, and compatibility with green technologies position fungi as central agents in future bioremediation efforts. Strategic investment in research and policy support is vital to turn these laboratory successes into large-scale, field-ready solutions.

Keywords: Fungal bioremediation, laccase, environmental pollution, biosorption, metabolic engineering, white-rot fungi, mycoremediation, enzymatic degradation, heavy metals, sustainable remediation