Applications of Genome Editing in Bioremediation

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Excessive utilization of chemicals based substances such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, inappropriate dumping of industrial materials and local wastes, etc., into the environment is leading towards deliverance of high amounts of contaminants such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, dyes, toxins, petroleum and diesel spills into the soil. The mingling of these materials with soil and water is becoming one of the supreme complications associated with the environment, as these contaminants are a potential menace to human health. Bioremediation is a process that has the ability to destroy harmful contaminants and transform them into less toxic forms using living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, plants, etc. It is the most up-to-date nature-friendly approach to lower the extent of pollutants in the environment. With continuous developments in the scientific area, researchers are focussing on improving the process of bioremediation by using genome editing technologies. The gene editing techniques have the potential to significantly improve bioremediation processes such as xenobiotic removal, conversion of toxic compounds to less toxic compounds and pesticide degradation to simple components. The main gene editing techniques, CRISPR-Cas, ZFN and TALEN, have the potential to meet the aforementioned goals. This chapter focuses on the various gene editing tools and different genomic strategies such as gene editing, gene circuit, etc., for the alteration or editing of the genome so that their potential value or applications can be seen in various areas.