Analyzing the Capabilities of Actinobacteria for Remediation Through Metagenomic Analysis of Contaminated Habitats

Industrialization has increased the number of pollutants in air, water, and land to toxic levels. Effectively removing these pollutants from the environment is a challenge faced by many countries around the world. Heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) and organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are taken up by organisms at various levels of ecological chains causing deteriorating effects on all the organisms. The bioremediation process has long been known to sustainably detoxify environmental pollutants with the help of microorganisms. Polluted areas often harbor microorganisms that are not cultivable but essential for the bioremediation process. Metagenomic studies help to identify such organisms and present the array of microorganisms apt for bioremediation of the contaminated site. Advances in sequencing techniques help identify microorganisms faster. It also helps with the identification of specific genes, proteins, and enzymes that can hasten the remediation process. Actinobacteria are soil dwellers and have a unique set of enzyme systems with the ability to take up these pollutants effectively. This chapter presents the various metagenomic approaches and the Actinobacteria reported possessing the bioremediation ability.