Fungal-Bacterial Cooperation in Environmental Bioremediation

Fungi and bacteria influence one another's access to resources, movement through complex habitats, and capacity to transform contaminants. This book examines how their cooperation can support environmental bioremediation, connecting microbial ecology with the opportunities and constraints of practical applications. Across sixteen chapters, it explores hyphal transport, nutrient exchange, chemical signaling, metabolic complementarity, and biofilm formation to explain how microbial partnerships influence contaminant accessibility and fate. The book considers pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alongside pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, metals, and mixed contamination. It examines community design, immobilization, and carrier materials, with applications spanning soils, rhizospheres, plant-associated systems, water and wastewater, waste gases, and solid wastes. Throughout, it distinguishes contaminant removal from transformation, mineralization, and risk reduction, recognizing that appropriate treatment goals depend on the contaminant and its environmental context. Ecological safety, life cycle assessment, and the challenges of scale-up receive particular attention. The book also considers emerging roles for multi-omics, artificial intelligence, and digital monitoring. Written for researchers, graduate students, and environmental engineers, it provides a basis for evaluating the evidence behind cooperative bioremediation and assessing what is needed to move from controlled experiments to environmentally relevant applications.