Enhancement of microbial biodiversity to promote environmental and human health

Microbial biodiversity is crucial for both humanity and the environment. Microorganisms can adapt [1] even in heavily anthropized environments, developing functions related to enzymatic activity or the production of bioactive metabolites. This newfound biodiversity presents significant opportunities for discovery, valorization, and exploitation. The PhD project focuses on valorizing microbial biodiversity with two main objectives. Firstly, exploring the biodiversity of various ecosystems to identify new enzymatic activities involved in the biodegradation processes of synthetic polymers, which have significant environmental impact if dispersed in the environment. Microbial biodegradation emerges as a promising and sustainable strategy to address this issue, and identifying the responsible microorganisms or enzymes is crucial for the development of bioremediation actions [2]. Concurrently, evaluating the postbiotic potential of microorganisms present in fermented foods, such as kombucha, which are still poorly understood. Postbiotics are critical for supporting immune function, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, and inhibiting pathogens at the level of the intestinal microbiota. Identifying new postbiotic activities from newly isolated and characterized microorganisms will be valuable for developing postbiotic formulations that support the balance of the intestinal microbiota. According to the biome depletion theory [3], excessive hygiene and antibiotic abuse can disrupt the balance of the intestinal microbiota, predisposing to issues such as allergies, autoimmune diseases, obesity, gastrointestinal, and mental disorders. In this context, challenges related to these research activities will be discussed along with proposed strategies leveraging microbial biodiversity.