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Industrial activities and legacy contamination have generated metal-laden soils, radionuclide plumes, solvent-saturated sediments, and acidified pollutants. These are complex, hostile matrices where chemical treatments often redistribute rather than eliminate hazards, and where conventional mesophilic microbes cannot survive. Extremophiles, particularly species within the genus Deinococcus , represent a promising alternative for such environments. Their exceptional DNA repair systems and oxidative-stress resistance mechanisms enable metabolic activity under extreme conditions including ionizing radiation, prolonged desiccation, reactive oxygen species, and nutrient limitation. Deinococcus cells and biofilms adsorb metals through surface binding, and engineered strains can be designed to express redox pathways that convert soluble contaminants into insoluble, more readily recoverable forms. Deinococcus combines in situ applicability with minimal site preparation, exceptional stress resilience, and genetic adaptability, making it a strong candidate for bioremediation in environments resistant to conventional methods. This review explores the innate resilience of Deinococcus , its potential applications in bioremediation, and the prospects for enhancing its enzymatic repertoire through genetic engineering, culminating in a discussion of the challenges associated with scale-up and regulatory approval.
Vattikuti et al. (Fri,) studied this question.