Babita Thakur

Biological risk assessment of microbial hazards in food waste valorisation streams for safe circular food systems

The rapid growth of food waste valorization within the framework of circular food systems has opened up new possibilities for the sustainable recovery of resources, but also poses unclear and less explored biological threats. Food waste streams provide dynamic habitats for a wide range of microbial communities that com...

Eco-toxicological Impact of Polypropylene Microplastics on the Earthworm Lampito mauritii: Effects on Growth and Vital Biomarkers

Microbial Bioremediation of Microplastic Pollution for a Sustainable Ecosystem and Greener Future: A Review

This review summarizes the current understanding of microbial–polymer interactions, including surface colonization, biofilm-mediated depolymerization, and intracellular uptake of degradation intermediates, and discusses recent developments in enzyme engineering, strain optimization employing the CRISPR method, and synt...

Microbial and Enzymatic Strategies for Plastic Waste Biodegradation: Mechanistic Pathways, Environmental Challenges, and Emerging Biotechnological Strategies

This review includes various bacterial and fungal enzymes associated with major stages of microbial plastic degradation, including biodeterioration, biofragmentation, bioassimilation, and mineralization and highlights recent advancements in metagenomics, enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, and multi‐omics approaches...

Recent Advances in Fungal Cell Factories for Sustainable Bioenergy and Biomaterials Developments: Challenges and Future Directions

The convergence of fungal systems biology with the principles of circular bioeconomy is illustrated and the technological, economic, and regulatory bottlenecks which need to be overcome are pointed out to fully realise the potential of fungi as the biofactories of the future for the sustainable production of energy and...