Microbial consortia and their application for environmental sustainability

A diverse group of a microbial community present in nature exhibit a highly complex and interwoven web of metabolic communications. The microbial communities also manage numerous interfaces of mutualism and syntrophism, commensalism, and antagonistic behavior as a part of their coexistence. Diversified metabolic functions and survival strategies of the microbial communities could be useful for preserving environmental sustainability. Many microorganisms are involved in the bioremediation processes to reclaim the contaminated environment and potential waste management. The rhizospheric microbes have an expansive ability of governing nutrient transformation, fixation, solubilization, mobilization, and enhancing their use efficiency and thereby play an important role in soil, plant, and environmental sustainability. They can be employed in the agricultural system to reduce the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Additionally, microbes are also proving to be a potential alternative source of biofuel and bioenergy generation.