This comprehensive review examines the current state and future prospects of microbial polyurethane (PU) biodegradation as a sustainable waste management strategy. We systematically analyse bacterial and fungal species with demonstrated PU-degrading capabilities. The review elucidates key enzymatic mechanisms, including colonization-dependent biofilm formation and targeted hydrolysis of ester and urethane bonds by cutinases, esterases, and novel urethanases. Critical analysis of degradation assessment methods reveals thermogravimetric analysis and chromatographic techniques as primary evaluation tools, while omics approaches have revolutionized understanding of microbial community dynamics and metabolic pathways. Despite promising laboratory results, industrial implementation faces significant challenges including slow degradation kinetics, environmental sensitivity, and regulatory uncertainties. Emerging solutions through genetic engineering demonstrate 2.3-fold improvements in degradation efficiency, while nanobiocatalysts offer 82% activity retention across multiple cycles. The integration of chemical pretreatments with biological processes and the development of synthetic microbial consortia represents promising strategies to enhance polyurethane biodegradation. This review highlights critical research gaps and outlines future directions for developing economically viable, large-scale bioremediation systems. Key areas for advancement include the discovery of novel PU-degrading microorganisms, enzyme engineering to improve degradation efficiency, and the implementation of sustainable microbial strategies within waste management frameworks to mitigate global PU pollution.

Hot springs represent unique geothermal ecosystems where extreme physicochemical conditions intersect with remarkable microbial diversity and metabolic innovation. These natural laboratories harbor specialized communities of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms that have evolved exceptional adaptations to elevated temperatures, extreme pH, and high salinity. This review synthesizes current understanding of hot spring systems as multifunctional natural resources, examining their roles in fundamental microbiology, biotechnology, and sustainable development. We explore the ecological principles governing microbial community assembly, the taxonomic and functional diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, and the genomic mechanisms underlying thermophilic adaptation. Hot springs yield enzymes revolutionizing molecular biology and industrial catalysis, bioactive metabolites with pharmaceutical potential, and novel bioremediation capabilities including plastic degradation. Beyond biological significance, these systems contain valuable minerals and rare earth elements, supporting an emerging bioeconomy integrating wellness tourism, bioprospecting, and sustainable resource extraction. However, critical knowledge gaps remain regarding viral ecology, horizontal gene transfer, eukaryotic diversity, and climate change impacts. We emphasize that hot springs merit renewed interdisciplinary attention as model systems for understanding extremophile physiology, early life evolution, and the development of nature-based biotechnological solutions. Realizing their full potential requires balanced management strategies that preserve ecosystem integrity while enabling responsible utilization of these irreplaceable geobiological resources.

This study investigates the role of microbial dynamics during the fermentation of buffalo dung and urine-fermented plant growth-promoting formulation, a natural biofertilizer, and its impact on plant growth and soil health. This formulation was prepared using Surti buffalo dung, urine, jaggery, gram flour, and soil and fermented for up to 14 days. Metagenomic analysis revealed microbial succession from a diverse initial community to a Bacillus-dominated population, especially the Lactic Acid Bacteria, after 8 days of fermentation. The changes were accompanied by increases in the plant growth-promoting genes related to nutrient acquisition, phytohormone production, and stress resistance. The pot experiment revealed a significant increase in mung bean growth, with the maximum effect obtained from the eighth-day fermented formulation. The experiment showed considerable improvement in the physicochemical properties of soil, including increased organic carbon and nutrient availability. These findings underscore the ecological importance of microbial input preparation in enhancing soil fertility and plant growth sustainably. Future research should delve deeper into the specific mechanisms these microbes facilitate nutrient cycling and resilience in various agroclimatic conditions.

The present study employs a metagenomics approach to evaluate microbial communities’ ecological functions and potential within the Rajpardi lignite mine of Gujarat, India. Through whole genome shotgun sequencing on the Illumina Miseq platform, we obtained 10 071 318 sequences, which unveiled a diverse and abundant microbial community primarily composed of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Nitrospirae. Comprehensive taxonomic profiling and gene prediction was carried out using the SqueezeMeta pipline, which highlighted significant contributions to carbohydrate, amino acid, and energy metabolism. The detection of antimicrobial resistance and stress resistance genes, such as blaTEM and merA, suggests that these microbes possess the ability to adapt to harsh environmental conditions. Genome binning revealed species such as Acidiphilum sp. 20-67-58, emphasizing the nature of these communities as they adapted to an acidic environment. This finding highlights the crucial role of microbes in biogeochemical cycles, emphasizing their potential in bioremediation, pollutant degradation, and ecosystem restoration.

Cow’s milk, urine, dung, ghee, and curd possess significant medicinal value in Ayurveda and have been integral to traditional Indian clinical practices for centuries. The cow-derived fermented product (CDFP), a formulation rooted in Ayurvedic tradition, combines these five components as a panchgavya and is believed to offer multifaceted health benefits. In this preliminary single-subject case study, we evaluated the microbial composition of CDFP itself and assessed its effects on the human gut microbiome before and after 7 and 15 days of administration. A single healthy male subject consumed CDFP daily for seven consecutive days. Using 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing, we observed a prominent increase in gut microbial diversity and a rise in beneficial bacterial genera such as Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, and Akkermansia during and after treatment. Functional profiling revealed significant enhancements in pathways associated with amino acid metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis (e.g., folate, riboflavin), and energy metabolism, along with transient boosts in secondary metabolite synthesis. Metabolomic analysis identified 171 bioactive compounds within CDFP, with 33 exhibiting interactions with human proteins involved in immune modulation, oxidative stress response, and gut barrier integrity. Although conducted on a single participant, this study is the first to elucidate the distinct changes observed in gut microbial composition and function following the seven-day CDFP regimen and provides initial insights that warrant further investigation in larger, controlled studies. These findings highlight the potential of CDFP as a microbiota-targeted intervention with health-supportive properties.

Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives