bioprocess-engineering
Bioprocess engineering is the design and optimization of production systems that leverage biological organisms or molecules. In plant science, this field is crucial for scaling the production of plant-derived compounds such as pharmaceuticals and biofuels, and for cultivating plants in controlled bioreactor environments to enhance yields and metabolite production with precision impossible through conventional agriculture.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-01
Researchers review how living organisms — algae, microbes, and plants — can clean polluted freshwater lakes and rivers while also producing usable materials like biofuels or fertilizers. This dual-function approach transforms water remediation from an environmental cost into a circular, resource-generating system.
Bio-resource technologies using algae, microbes, and plants can remove multiple contaminant types simultaneously — including excess nutrients driving algal blooms, heavy metals, and synthetic organic pollutants.
Remediation biomass can be converted into value-added products, linking ecological restoration directly to circular economy principles and reducing net costs of water treatment.
Techno-economic analysis and supportive policy frameworks are identified as critical gaps; seasonal variability and secondary pollution risk remain the primary technical barriers to widespread deployment.