ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC ENZYMATIC PATHWAYS FOR BIODEGRADATION OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL RESIDUES

Abstract

Background: Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are major environmental pollutants that contaminate soil and water ecosystems and pose significant risks to human health and biodiversity. Traditional remediation methods are often ineffective, expensive, and environmentally unsustainable.

Objective:  To construct synthetic enzymatic pathways for efficient degradation of agricultural chemical residues by recombinant microbial systems and synthetic biology techniques.

Methodology:  It employed CRISPR-assisted metabolic engineering to engineer microbial strains that express organophosphate hydrolase and oxidoreductase enzymes. The biodegradation efficiency was evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), enzyme kinetics analysis and toxicity reduction assays. Additionally, the metabolic pathways were optimized to improve the degradation stability and substrate conversion efficiency.

Findings:  Engineered microbial system B achieved 89% residue degradation efficiency as opposed to 42% in wild-type strains. The degradation of organophosphate and herbicide resulted to increased enzyme activity (185%) and great reduction in toxicity. Engineered systems showed improved metabolic stability and lower accumulation of toxic intermediates.

In summary, synthetic enzymatic pathways significantly improve the biodegradation of agricultural chemicals, offering sustainable and scalable approaches for environmental detoxification and agricultural waste management.

Conclusion:  Synthetic enzymatic pathways significantly enhance agricultural chemical biodegradation and provide sustainable, scalable solutions for environmental detoxification and agricultural waste management.