Harnessing microbial specialization for nature-based marine bioremediation

Title : Harnessing microbial specialization for nature-based marine bioremediation

Abstract:

Marine bioremediation offers a powerful example of how highly specialized biological functions can be transformed into effective blue solutions. Bacterial biodiversity provides a vast portfolio of metabolic capabilities, including the production of biosurfactants, siderophores and other active compounds that enhance hydrocarbon bioavailability, nutrient acquisition and overall degradation efficiency. These naturally evolved traits can be incorporated into nature-based strategies that aim to optimize bioremediation not by imposing external inputs, but by leveraging and guiding the processes that marine microbes already perform with remarkable specificity.

In parallel, the same microbial specializations can be repurposed for environmental monitoring through the development of biosensors based on responsive bacterial strains or functional genetic markers. Such tools enable real-time tracking of contaminant dynamics, microbial activity and ecosystem recovery, supporting more adaptive management of contaminated marine environments. The integration of ecological understanding with the functional potential of bacteria, asks a central question: can the extreme specialization found in nature be harnessed to design scalable, sustainable and resilient solutions for marine ecosystem restoration? The evidence suggests that embracing, rather than simplifying, microbial complexity opens new pathways for optimized nature-based bioremediation in marine systems. Our research is focused on the optimization of bioremediation processes in marine environment with special attention to hydrocarbon pollution.

Biography:

Renata Denaro is a researcher at the Water Research Institute of the National Research Council (CNR) and a lecturer in Marine Microbial Biotechnology at Tor Vergata University in Rome. She focuses on marine bioremediation, investigating the ecology, genetics, physiology and biotechnological potential of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. Her research includes valuable microbial compounds, such as siderophores, and the development of bacterial biosensors. She has collaborated with national authorities to address regulatory and technological gaps in marine bioremediation. Author of 50 publications and book chapters, she is the inventor of a patent for sediment recovery and a recipient of an ITWIIN award.