Emerging high-throughput approaches to analyze bioremediation of sites contaminated with hazardous and/or recalcitrant wastes

Sustainable development requires the promotion of environmental management and a constant search for new technologies to treat a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial habitats contaminated by increasing anthropogenic activities. Bioremediation, i.e. the elimination of natural or xenobiotic pollutants by living organisms, is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to physico-chemical cleanup options. However, the strategy and outcome of bioremediation in open systems or confined environments depend on a variety of physico-chemical and biological factors that need to be assessed and monitored. In particular, microorganisms are key players in bioremediation applications, yet their catabolic potential and their dynamics in situ remain poorly characterized. To perform a comprehensive assessment of the biodegradative potential of a contaminated site and efficiently monitor changes in the structure and activities of microbial communities involved in bioremediation processes, sensitive, fast and large-scale methods are needed. Over the last few years, the scientific literature has revealed the progressive emergence of genomic high-throughput technologies in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. In this review, we discuss various high-throughput techniques and their possible—or already demonstrated—application to assess biotreatment of contaminated environments.