Shovana Pal’s scientific contributions

Mycological bioremediation is a novel strategy that takes advantage of the special skills of mushrooms, has become a viable method to reduce environmental pollution brought on by numerous toxins. This paper looks at the promise of mycological bioremediation as a long-term, environmental friendly technique for cleaning up the polluted regions while also giving an overview of recent breakthroughs in the field. It has become clear that using living creatures to remove or neutralize environmental pollutants is a potential strategy for dealing with a variety of environmental toxins. Mycology, the study of mushrooms, has become increasingly popular among the many bioremediation techniques due to its extraordinary potential for cleaning up polluted habitats. Fungi are significant agents in bioremediation efforts due to their distinctive characteristics, which include quick development, a wide range of metabolic skills, and an affinity for different contaminants

A severe threat to agricultural output and sustainability are global problems including soil erosion, contaminants, and agricultural productivity loss brought on by urbanization and agricultural expansion. Many technological advancements are being used to improve the quality of contaminated soils or purify contaminants in the soil, but they haven't been able to restore or improve the condition of the soil to the desired levels because they are expensive, impractical, or, to a lesser extent, require a lot of labour. Recent developments in nanotechnology promise to raise crop yields and soil quality indices while maintaining environmental sustainability. It has been discovered that the existence of nanomaterials (NMs) within soils may influence or enhance the efficiency of rhizosphere microbes or farming crucial microbes, allowing the access of nutrients to crops and improving the functioning of root systems as well as crop growth in general, creating up an opportunity for the enhancement of soil health. It could be useful to assess nanotechnology in order to learn more about the actual utilization of NMs for enhancing soil health.

Farmers' growing reliance on chemical fertilizers has enhanced agronomicoutput, but it has also increased environmental contamination and put thestability of the world's ecosystem in greater danger. By making abioticstresses more frequent, climate change has exacerbated the issue. Even ifagriculture is only permitted on 50% of the world's livable land, it is criticallynecessary to ensure its sustainability and security. Boost crop yield and foodsecurity while using little to no chemical fertilizers and pesticides is one ofcontemporary agriculture's greatest problems. The vanguard ofenvironmentally friendly farming methods is rhizobacteria that promote plantdevelopment (PGPR). They offer an advantageous and safe alternative tochemical fertilizers as well as a suitable solution to less difficult situations.Numerous bacterial species that function as PGPRs have significantlyenhanced plant growth, well-being, and production. The major subjects ofthis review include the use of these rhizobacteria under various stresscircumstances, their significance in sustainable agriculture, and theunderlying mechanisms driving growth promotion

Since the 1950s, plastics have been frequently utilized due to theiraffordability and durability. The widespread use of plastics poses a greatrisk to the environment. As plastics are non-degradable and have resistanceto moisture, they get piled up in the environment, causing soil and waterpollution. Global food chains are suffering due to the heavy use of plastic.Bioremediation is a technique that employs the use of living organisms,like microbes and bacteria, in the removal of contaminants, pollutants, andtoxins from soil, water, and other environments. Using microorganisms tobreak down plastic and turns it into low molecular weight molecules, thatare safe for the ecosystem is the most cost-effective and environmentallybeneficial way to reduce the amount of plastic in the environment.Microorganisms degrade plastics by secreting metabolites such aspolyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerases, which help in plastic breakdown.This review outlines the potential of different bacteria and fungi that canbreakdown plastics and explains the general procedure of microbialbiodegradation of plastics and also the different types of enzymes used bythe microorganisms to degrade plastics.

Anthropogenic sources of toxic cadmium (Cd) have significantly risen during the past few decades. Currently several physical and chemical techniques are used in the Cd decontamination methods. But these techniques are expensive and even causes secondary pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate eco-friendly, effective, and affordable strategies that can eliminate the Cd threat from the environment. The biological methods are far suitable than other methods in recent years. A bunch of bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Aeromonas caviae) are able to tolerate this heavy metal. Cadmium tolarent bacteria (CdtB) are numerous and unrelated phylogenetically. They contain cadA and cadB gene systems which is responsible for their Cd-resistant capacity. The objective of this review is to demonstrate the importance, culturable diversity, metabolic purification mechanisms, and contemporary applications of CdtB bacteria in soil bioremediation processes.

Heavy metals (chromium, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic) is a threat to environment. The chromium (Cr) is one of the lethal heavy metals which affects biological activities of living systems. The two most important form of Cr, Cr (III) and Cr (VI) are more stable in environment. The plant growth also effected by the high concentration of Cr (VI). The biological remediation is a eco-friendly and low cost remediation options of heavy metals. A bunch of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) can resist the toxic Cr and also able to carry their PGPB attributes. Recent studies have discussed the use of heavy metal resistant-PGPBs (Bacillus sp., Azospirillum sp.) to increase agricultural output without metal build-up in plant tissues. This review describes the mechanisms of Cr tolerant-PGPBs (which alleviate metal stress to plants) and its application in agriculture.