Efficient Bioremediation of Environmentally Persistent Contaminants with Nanomaterial-Fungus Framework (NFF)

项目摘要 有害的化学物质，如PFAS（全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质）， 严重危害环境、野生动物和人类健康。不同 生物修复是一种有效、可靠的修复方法， 持久性环境污染物，如PFASs。真菌，如担子菌（即白色腐菌 真菌）因其强大的胞外生物催化能力而被用于PFAS的生物修复， 伟大的承诺。然而，有几个因素限制了商业应用：1）需要营养素， 添加物作为微生物的碳源; 2）需要将真菌生物质作为颗粒进行粉碎 以防止真菌分散到反应器壁上; 3）细菌竞争; 4）由于 真菌菌丝体的化学有效性低，真菌生长缓慢。拟议 研究将解决修复持久性和有毒环境的紧迫挑战， 使用独特设计的纳米材料-真菌框架（NFF）去除污染物。NFF是 一个新的纳米材料创造了一个真菌可以生长的仿生支架的系统， 支架富集真菌可以降解的痕量污染物。我们的目标是揭开 NFF系统的基本生物降解机制，为未来的 修改和完善制度。工程NFF系统将提供一种新的策略， 适用于广泛的环境污染物生物修复实践。

Project Summary The recalcitrant and harmful chemicals such as PFASs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), endangers the environmental, wild-life, and human health profoundly. Among different strategies, bioremediation was established as an effective and reliable solution for remediating persistent environmental contaminants like PFASs. Fungi, such as basidiomycetes (i.e. white rot fungi) are used in bioremediation of PFAS for their strong extracellular biocatalytic capacity with great promise. However, several factors limit commercial applications: 1) need for nutrient addition as the carbon source for the microbe; 2) need to immobilize fungus biomass as pellets to prevent fungus dispersion onto reactor wall; 3) bacterial competition; 4) low efficiency due to the low chemical availability to the fungal mycelium and slow fungus growth. The proposed research will address the imminent challenges of remediating persistent and toxic environmental contaminants using the uniquely designed Nanomaterial-Fungus Framework (NFF). The NFF is a system that novel nano-materials create a biomimic scaffold where fungus can grow, and the scaffold enriches trace level contaminants that fungus can degrade. We aim to unveil the fundamental biodegradation mechanisms of the NFF system, which provides future guidance to modify and improve the system. The engineered NFF system will offer a novel strategy that applies toward a broad range of environmental pollutant bioremediation practices.