Environmental risk assessment for genetically modified microalgae.

From Carbon Sinks to Biofactories: Next-Generation Microalgae Platforms for Sustainable Climate Mitigation

Microbial inoculants for soil restoration: A Risk-Proportional Stewardship Framework Integrating Strain-Resolved Genomics and Adaptive Governance

Global soil degradation and increasing reliance on chemical inputs threaten agricultural sustainability, driving interest in microbial inoculants as tools for soil restoration. These biological products have the potential to enhance nutrient cycling, improve soil structure, and support plant resilience, but their environmental release raises important safety and stewardship considerations. Here, we propose a risk-proportional framework for the responsible deployment of microbial inoculants grounded in release-based stewardship. The framework integrates genome-resolved strain identification, exclusionary hazard screening, bioassay-based risk triage, ecological testing under realistic conditions, and monitored field deployment. Drawing on evidence from microbial ecology and invasion biology, we highlight how inoculants can alter resident microbial communities, influence ecosystem function, and, in some cases, facilitate gene flow, underscoring the need for risk assessment. We further outline a federated, genome-informed data infrastructure to support traceability, cross-jurisdiction learning, and adaptive management. Together, this approach provides a scalable and scientifically grounded pathway to balance innovation and safety, enabling microbial technologies to contribute to soil restoration and climate-resilient agriculture.

Problem formulation and conceptual framework for landscape-based environmental risk assessment of pesticides.

The use of plant protection products (PPPs) remains a major concern for biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and human health, even under robust regulatory oversight. Current regulatory assessments are often fragmented: they typically examine single substances and single crops in isolation at local or simplified scales. As a result, they struggle to capture the cumulative and combined effects of multiple PPPs and the way exposure propagates and interacts across space and time (fields, crops, and seasons). Our previously proposed landscape-based Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) framework offered an integrative solution. By jointly representing agricultural practices, environmental characteristics, species movement among habitats, and the combined impacts of multiple PPPs, the current framework delivers predictions that are more adapted to the field reality. These insights are valuable both for regulatory decision-making and for understanding how PPP risks contribute to the overall environmental stress. In this manuscript, we explore the needs, challenges, opportunities, and modelling tools for implementing a landscape-based ERA in both prospective (ex-ante) and retrospective (ex-post) contexts. Drawing on expert discussions and collaborative initiatives, we propose a conceptual framework with four pillars: (1) flexibility to meet diverse user and stakeholder needs, different decision contexts, and varying data availability; (2) ecological realism, the capacity to represent multiple stressors, cumulative effects, exposure pathways driven by species movement, and recovery dynamics; (3) data integration and transparency, combining monitoring and regulatory datasets for calibration, validation, uncertainty analysis, and reproducibility; and (4) regulatory uptake and interoperability, ensuring compatibility with existing ERA methodologies and producing outputs that can be interpreted and used at the landscape level across jurisdictions and tools. Beyond regulatory compliance, landscape-based ERA is a dynamic and adaptative system that provides a robust scientific basis for setting protection goals, designing targeted risk mitigation measures, shaping sustainable agricultural strategies, and communicating realistic, multi-stressor risk trade-offs to stakeholders and the public.

From Invaders to Resources: Evaluating Freshwater Invasive Species as Sustainable Sources for Aquaculture Feed

The increasing spread of invasive alien species (IAS) represents one of the major causes of biodiversity loss, making containment practices necessary. In this regard, the circular economy framework proposes to reuse the biomass from IAS in growing sectors such as aquaculture, in which more sustainable practices are required. This study evaluated the possibility of using biomass derived from two widespread freshwater IAS, Procambarus clarkii and Silurus glanis, as dietary ingredients for Oncorhynchus mykiss. Experimental diets were formulated by incorporating 20% of IAS-derived muscle powder into a commercial feed, and their effects were assessed through a 35-day feeding trial. Chemical analyses confirmed the nutritional suitability of the formulated diets and the absence of antibiotic residues. No mortality or significant differences in growth performance were observed among treatments. Blood biochemical parameters showed limited variations, remaining within physiological ranges, while oxidative stress biomarkers indicated only minor, diet-specific responses without evidence of oxidative damage. An increase in Hsp70 expression suggested adaptive physiological responses rather than pathological stress. Histological analyses of liver and gut tissues revealed no structural alterations across experimental groups. Overall, the results demonstrate that the inclusion of IAS-derived biomass at 20% is well tolerated by O. mykiss and does not impair fish health. These findings support the potential of invasive species valorization as a sustainable strategy for aquaculture feed production, contributing to both resource efficiency and ecosystem management.

Engineered microorganisms for environmental release: current situation and future perspectives.

Engineered microorganisms for environmental release (EMERs) hold a considerable potential for bioremediation of sites polluted with urban and industrial emissions. The growing availability of EMERs with phenotypes that can help recovering polluted sites and degraded ecosystems could become a phenomenal tool to tackle some of the most pressing contamination problems at very different scales worldwide. Yet, while their delivery to diverse environmental targets could have an immense benefit, the regulatory roadmap for permitting release-in particular in the European Union-is controlled by strict policies which become actual deterrents for the development of the field. In this Perspective, we have mapped the current state of regulatory affairs and entertain ways of moving from the existing legislation on genetic engineering to an informed discussion about the future of this technology, highlighting several important aspects of the new generation of molecular tools for precision genetic engineering. Furthermore, we advocate advancing towards a fresh mindset in which EMERs are not perceived as artificial intrusions into the natural world, but as our main allies to combat much of the damage that we have inflicted to the planet.

Organic Nanoagriculture: The Use of Natural Nanomaterials for Sustainable Agriculture

The increase in global population and subsequent demand for food have led to intensive use of agrochemicals in agriculture to maximize productivity, triggering serious environmental consequences. In response to these challenges, organic farming is a viable alternative based on methods that promote natural resource conservation. However, a major challenge to its use is lower yields, limiting large-scale adoption. In this context, nanotechnology is an innovative tool capable of enhancing organic agricultural production through naturally derived nanomaterials such as nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, and soil amendments. The following review aims to analyze these naturally derived nanomaterials and assess their capacity to increase crop yields. This will determine whether these innovations can enable organic agriculture to achieve higher production levels. Additionally, there is the presentation of examples of commercially available naturally derived nanomaterials. This is followed by an examination of safety studies showing a variety of toxicological and ecotoxicological effects. Finally, an examination of regulatory frameworks related to nanomaterials reveals a lack of standardized regulations and permissions, creating uncertainty and delays in adopting new nanotechnologies in the organic agricultural sector. Naturally derived nanomaterials have the potential to enhance productivity indicators. However, it is crucial to promote international standards for regulatory permissions. It is only then that progress can be made toward the use of nanotechnology for a more efficient, ecological, and sustainable agriculture for the future.