bioengineering
Bioengineering applies principles of biology alongside engineering tools and techniques to design and create useful biological products and systems. In plant science, it enables researchers to modify plant genetics, metabolism, and physiology with precision, opening pathways to develop crops with enhanced yields, stress tolerance, or nutritional profiles. These advances have broad implications for agriculture, sustainability, and our fundamental understanding of how plants grow and respond to their environment.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-01
Scientists are developing bioengineering tools to help microbes break down PFAS ('forever chemicals') — highly persistent fluorinated pollutants that contaminate soil and water worldwide. Natural microbes can't do this well, so researchers are using lab-based evolution and genetic engineering to create organisms that can.
Natural microorganisms cannot effectively metabolize polyfluorinated compounds, making these 'forever chemicals' persist indefinitely in the environment.
Fluoride released during the breakdown of fluorinated compounds is toxic to microbes, representing a key biological barrier to natural biodegradation.
Microbial enzymes that can defluorinate simpler (monofluorinated) compounds have been identified and are being used as blueprints to engineer microbes capable of tackling more complex perfluorinated chemicals.