Toxic metalloids including arsenic (As) can neither be eliminated nor destroyed from environment; however, they can be converted from toxic to less/non-toxic forms. The form of As species and their concentration determines its toxicity.
Fungi provide ecosystem services also through the activity of transforming and detoxifying pollutants. For this reason, learning from nature, they represent an effective toolbox for a sustainable bioremediation of potentially toxic elements and pesticides in soil and water.
In this context, the role of As tolerant saprotrophic fungal species, isolated from natural areas with high As concentrations, and As chemical species will be explored in order to find the best candidates as bioresources for bioremediation.
The present project aims to provide a comprehensive study of some of the most promising processes mediated by plant and fungi in assisted phytoremediation and to illustrate how such processes influence As uptake through various biogeochemical processes, ultimately facilitating phytoremediation.
1) New soil saprotrophic fungi as bioresources for the sustainable bioremediation of arsenic.
The proposed strategy will be aimed to find sustainable applications to cope with As anthropogenic contamination/natural alteration of soils and waters, in feasible, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective ways. Potential in As recovery will be evaluated as well as integration with chemico-physical traditional remedial techniques.
2) Identification of fungal mechanisms to cope with arsenic by genetic, enzymatic and genomic analyses.
Next generation sequencing technology will be implemented to shed further light in As-metabolism dependent mechanisms involved by fungi. Enzyme activity analyses will deepen the antioxidant stress responses by fungi and the possible inactivation of important enzymes (laccases) involved in important fungal metabolic processes, including biotransformation of recalcitrant natural substrates (e.g. lignin) and anthropogenic organic xenobiotics (e.g. pesticides).
3) Fungi as multifunctional soil bioresources: chances in As bioremediation and plant-growth promotion.
Novel soil saprotrophic fungi as new bioresources could provide and effective toolbox with multiple functions for humans wellbeing and ecosystem multifunctionality and plasticity (Ceci et al., 2018; Spina et al., 2018). Plant-fungal interactions, including plant-assisted bioremediation and plant-growth promotion, is an innovative field of investigation with paramount potential for future sustainable applications. Fungi play several ecological roles in ecosystems, contributing in provisioning, regulating and supporting ecosystems services for living organisms and the present and future generations.