Enhancing Se(IV) bioremediation efficiency via immobilization of filamentous fungi and yeasts in eco-friendly alginate bead hydrogels.

The immobilization of microorganisms in polymeric hydrogel has gained attention as a potential method for applications in various fields, offering several advantages over traditional cell free-living technologies. The present study aims to compare the efficiency of selenium (Se) bioremediation and biorecovery by two different fungal types, both in their free and immobilized forms using alginate hydrogels. Our results demonstrated an improvement in the amount of Se(IV) removed from the hydrogels of Aspergillus ochraceus (∼97%) and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (∼43%) compared to that of the planktonic cultures (∼57% and ∼9-17%).

Unveiling fungal diversity in uranium and glycerol-2-phosphate-amended bentonite microcosms: Implications for radionuclide immobilization within the Deep Geological Repository system.

Uranium (U) represents the preeminent hazardous radionuclide within the context of nuclear waste repositories. Indigenous microorganisms in bentonite can influence radionuclide speciation and migration in Deep Geological Repositories (DGRs) for nuclear waste storage. While bacterial communities in bentonite samples have been extensively studied, the impact of fungi has been somewhat overlooked.