product through conversion; (3) allowing continued usage of site because of being
nonintrusive; and (4) above all, relatively easy implementation.
8.8 Research Advancement
Recent active research in the field of plant biology is phytoremediation, which has
gained importance by its promising advances in the area of environmental concerns.
Many plants of different varieties have already been reported for efficiency in
remediation; attempts to understand the mechanisms behind the combined effects
of plants such as uptake, translocation, and metabolism of metals have been widely
reported, mainly in hyper-accumulators. The field of biotechnology and its implications helps to achieve improved sustainable remediation abilities of plants in conjunction with traditional technologies. The new variety of transgenic plants can
efficiently manage large quantities of metal uptake and successfully manage their
own metabolism, making the metals nontoxic to the environment, as acknowledged
by one report. Although advances in this field have occurred, better understanding is
required of the actual process by which the plant–microbial interactions take place
for efficient metal accumulation and ionic homeostasis.
For better understanding, the following areas need focus. (1) Safe compartmentation of HMs inside the plant tissues may be found by manipulating metal transporters toward some specific sites such as vacuoles without disturbing other plant
cells. (2) To avoid the risk of trans-gene escape through pollen, an attempt must be
made to manipulate the genomes of the chloroplast, which may be a better alternative in some plants. (3) Subsequent transformation of improved metal tolerances in
plants in needed, along with identifying the substance produced to deter herbivores
feeding on them and thus preventing HMs from entering the food web. (4) The
plant–microbe interaction must be enhanced by developing transgenic plants, which
may be achieved by two approaches: to develop transgenic plants that have the
ability to secrete metal-selective ligands, which helps in metal solubility to make it
bioavailable; or to identify and improve the natural secretion of simple molecules
with selective chelation abilities in rhizosphere. (5) It is equally important to address
the mixed contaminants at the same pollution site, so transgenic plants are to be
created by opting for multigene approaches of the simultaneous transfer of several
genes to a suitable plant candidate for efficient remediating of mixed contaminants at
the same site. (6) However, field performance of the transgenic plants is always
unexplored; immediate field trial experiments are necessary for an acceptable as well
as a commercially viable technology. Several collaborative studies involving botany,
soil biogeochemistry, microbiology, genetic engineering, agricultural and bioengineering, plant physiology, and biochemistry may provide better understanding about
phytoremediating prospects. As in many other fields, the influence of proteomics and
genomics may someday take phytoremediation and their genetic engineering to the
next level, imparting benefits to society.
4 Recent Advances in Phytoremediation of Toxic Metals from Contaminated. . .
105
nonintrusive; and (4) above all, relatively easy implementation.
8.8 Research Advancement
Recent active research in the field of plant biology is phytoremediation, which has
gained importance by its promising advances in the area of environmental concerns.
Many plants of different varieties have already been reported for efficiency in
remediation; attempts to understand the mechanisms behind the combined effects
of plants such as uptake, translocation, and metabolism of metals have been widely
reported, mainly in hyper-accumulators. The field of biotechnology and its implications helps to achieve improved sustainable remediation abilities of plants in conjunction with traditional technologies. The new variety of transgenic plants can
efficiently manage large quantities of metal uptake and successfully manage their
own metabolism, making the metals nontoxic to the environment, as acknowledged
by one report. Although advances in this field have occurred, better understanding is
required of the actual process by which the plant–microbial interactions take place
for efficient metal accumulation and ionic homeostasis.
For better understanding, the following areas need focus. (1) Safe compartmentation of HMs inside the plant tissues may be found by manipulating metal transporters toward some specific sites such as vacuoles without disturbing other plant
cells. (2) To avoid the risk of trans-gene escape through pollen, an attempt must be
made to manipulate the genomes of the chloroplast, which may be a better alternative in some plants. (3) Subsequent transformation of improved metal tolerances in
plants in needed, along with identifying the substance produced to deter herbivores
feeding on them and thus preventing HMs from entering the food web. (4) The
plant–microbe interaction must be enhanced by developing transgenic plants, which
may be achieved by two approaches: to develop transgenic plants that have the
ability to secrete metal-selective ligands, which helps in metal solubility to make it
bioavailable; or to identify and improve the natural secretion of simple molecules
with selective chelation abilities in rhizosphere. (5) It is equally important to address
the mixed contaminants at the same pollution site, so transgenic plants are to be
created by opting for multigene approaches of the simultaneous transfer of several
genes to a suitable plant candidate for efficient remediating of mixed contaminants at
the same site. (6) However, field performance of the transgenic plants is always
unexplored; immediate field trial experiments are necessary for an acceptable as well
as a commercially viable technology. Several collaborative studies involving botany,
soil biogeochemistry, microbiology, genetic engineering, agricultural and bioengineering, plant physiology, and biochemistry may provide better understanding about
phytoremediating prospects. As in many other fields, the influence of proteomics and
genomics may someday take phytoremediation and their genetic engineering to the
next level, imparting benefits to society.
4 Recent Advances in Phytoremediation of Toxic Metals from Contaminated. . .
105