# Editorial

## ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

Hervé Macarie¹, Catherine Rébufa¹, Yveline Le Dréau¹, Carlos Escamilla-Alvarado², David Fernández-Domínguez³, Yannick Combet-Blanc⁴, Isabel Sastre-Conde⁵

1. Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France

2. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Pedro de Alba, S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico

3. ENGIE BIOZ, group ENGIE, France

4. Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France

5. IRFAP, C/ Babieca, nº 2. 07198, Son Ferriol, Palma de Mallorca, (Islas Baleares), Spain

This special issue is edited at the occasion of the 7th edition of the **International Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology and Engineering (ISEBE)**. This series of congresses was created in 2004 at the initiative of a group of Mexican researchers which 10 years later set-up the ABIAER association (https://abiaer.com/) to ensure the continuity of the organization of the ISEBEs and whose objectives overlap those of the symposium.

The previous ISEBE editions which took place in Mexico (2004, 2006, 2014, 2018), Spain (2008) and Argentina (2016) brought together each time between 130 and 300 professionals from around 30 countries and have already given rise to 3 special issues of the *Environmental Science and Pollution Research* journal (Candal et al., 2018; Gortares-Maroyoqui et al., 2020; Poggi-Varaldo et al., 2017)

The 7ISEBE, held in Marseilles in May 22-26, 2023, after the world came to a standstill in the face of a pandemic such as Covid, was strengthened by very interesting presentations, which together achieved what ISEBEs-ABIAER, formerly IMEBEs, set out to do (see https://abiaer.com/about/history/). Without wishing to repeat ourselves, but we never tire of doing so, this is a meeting where we work together to create the opportunity for collaboration towards interdisciplinary teamwork, in order to develop new methodologies to assess the threats that human activities (domestic, agronomic or industrial) cause to the environment and design techniques that can be applied on a real scale to mitigate them. The symposium covers a wide range of technologies, whether biological, using aerobic or anaerobic micro-organisms, plants or more complex organisms (e.g. earth worms), or physicochemical (thermal processes, membranes, etc.) applied to any matrices (soil, water, sediment, atmosphere, etc.) to protect natural and man-made environments (e.g. agroecosystems) and the climate in this globalized market world where there is hyper-consumption of inputs and energy with the objective to maintain a viable world for all living beings on the planet.

The 7ISEBE, with an extensive programme of keynotes, short oral and poster sessions, and technical visits, available in detail [here](https://www.isebe.org/), was particularly distinguished by the debate on the new technologies for the bioconversion of CO₂ emitted by the industry into synthetic fuels, as a future energy source, and other chemicals. Thus, integrating technologies for the service of a circular economy, highlights the importance of studying the vulnerability of countries to climate
change, through their geography, their socio-economic status and their public policies. Not all countries are equally vulnerable to climate change, as neither are they at the same stage, pace or direction in terms of solid waste management, toxic waste management, more sustainable agriculture, less polluting industries, wastewater treatment and air quality, among others. The geographical, political, and socio-economic disparities are all the more striking at a time when scientific progress shows us that it is sometimes lagging behind those events that cause natural disasters (drought/floods) due to climate change, or those caused by pollution with the associated risks to human health and biodiversity, those resulting from viral or bacterial epidemics affecting human and/or animal populations, or from pests affecting crops, which in turn are affected by the climate, environmental pollution or the excessive use of pesticides or the overexploitation of the edaphic environment. For many of these reasons, and in particular for what we experienced during Covid, this symposium, the 7ISEBE, was resumed with enthusiasm and with the humility to continue along the path of research on environmental issues by and to prevent major disasters in climate change, as well as the potential and almost patented destruction of specific natural and energy resources, using the tools available from science.

During 7ISEBE-ABIAER, the possibility was raised of replacing or minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers with biofertilizers produced by bacterial strains, which could replace fertilizers that were once considered the saviours of crops and are now banned in many countries. There were studies on soil improvement with amendments and irrigation in major crops such as viticulture in the Mediterranean. Studies were presented on the impact and decontamination of soils through the transfer of contaminated soil and the reconstruction of its profile, as well as those using bacterial biofilms in soil remediation. There were also presentations based on biobed models, in the context of agriculture as the basis of the economy, which requires a good resilience response from the edaphic environment. Other socio-economic issues affecting industry or society itself, with its customs and daily activities, included perspectives on the reuse of drinking water in large cities such as in the State of Mexico, taking into account the principles of the circular economy. Climate change, which is the subject of debate not only in the scientific world but also in the political world and even on the streets, was discussed on this occasion, with a focus on its assessment, with a search for indicators and criteria, and an analysis of the different vulnerabilities according to geographical areas and parameters in relation to the country. The development of new approaches in the use of methodologies for the characterization of fungi was discussed, as well as the use of native and recombinant enzymes in the pre-treatment of lignocellulose, etc. On the methodological side, the use of 3D printing for in-situ monitoring of contaminants was also presented. Similarly, papers were presented on UASB bioreactors for the production of ammonia, or the use of anaerobic digestion with electrolytic microbial cells, or studies on electro-fermentation, or other studies to improve decontamination techniques, or the biodegradability of organic matter with hydrogen pulses, or the degradation of sugar cane waste, or the isolation of heavy metals such as arsenic in sargassum from the Caribbean coast. All these and many more in poster form are some of the projects presented at 7ISEBE. To ensure a broader diffusion of the scientific results disclosed during the 7ISEBE, the oral presentations were recorded and made available to the community on YouTube at the following link.

At 7ISEBE, with 6 keynote lectures, 71 oral presentations and 76 posters, a total of 40 manuscripts were submitted for the special issue of ESPR, of which 18 were finally accepted for publication after a strict peer review process. Of these accepted papers, some come from oral presentations while others from posters. Among the published works we would like to highlight two large-scale studies, one about the spatio-temporal analysis of wastewater quality in the state of Yucatán, in Mexico, and another one that creates a database of heavy metals in sewage sludge in the European Union, but also a third about the biodegradation of oil in soil,
done at laboratory scale, but with the possibility of transferring the experience to the field. The rest of the works is more at laboratory level, focusing on methane and hydrogen production, degradation of contaminants, production of valuable compounds, and also on microbial diversity. Of the total of 25 countries that presented works at 7ISEBE, the 18 papers accepted for publication focus on 6 countries, one from Italy, 2 papers from Spain, 6 papers from France, 1 paper from South Korea, 5 papers from Mexico and 2 papers from Brazil. If we focus on the latter country, it is worth mentioning that it will be the headquarter of the next ISEBE edition (8ISEBE), that will take place in the City of Recife, Pernambuco state, from October 20 to 24, 2025 and that all the readers of this special issue are invited to join. More information about the 8ISEBE is available at https://sites.ufpe.br/8isebe/.

We hope that the ISEBEs - ABIAER will continue to grow and will remain a good arena for sharing research from countries all around the world with different perspectives, different levels of social and economic development and different environmental policies. Without good policies, and without good science-based innovation, it is not possible to move faster towards a sustainable and healthy world for all. We encourage you to join forces to achieve a greater internationalization of the ISEBE, to achieve the expansion of the ABIAER association, currently based in Mexico, where this initiative was born, to other countries, even other continents. To do this, we must combine forces, in this case of work and knowledge, to focus on improving the problems caused throughout history in environmental issues, and to minimize possible impacts due to the way we live today. To this end, we encourage you to apply to host the 9ISEBE, by answering to the call for proposals available at https://sites.ufpe.br/8isebe/9-isebe-2027/.

Also in the run-up to this 8ISEBE, and thinking of the participants of the 7ISEBE, we turn our gaze to Burkina Faso to make a special reference to a colleague, partner and friend who has accompanied this trajectory of conferences with the support of institutions such as the French Research Institute for sustainable development, IRD (https://en.ird.fr/). This professional in the world of environmental microbiology is, or sadly we should say was, **Dr Aboubakar Sidiki Ouattara**, who surprised us with his hasty departure without allowing us to see him at the 8ISEBE, where he was going to give us his support. For this, we leave to our memory and admiration his last presentation at the 7ISEBE on YouTube by clicking here.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /><figcaption>Prof. Aboubakar Sidiki Ouattara</figcaption></figure>

Professor Ouattara will remain with us forever through his presentations and his articles, as well as his memory for those of us who knew him, occupying a place in the world of science and in our hearts. Thank you for your role in education and research for the scientific world and for the society of Burkina Faso (Africa).
**Acknowledgement.**

The Guest Editors thank all the members of the 7ISEBE organizing & Scientific committees but also all participants to 7ISEBE and 7ISEBE sponsors (Aix Marseille Université and its IM2B & IMI Institutes, ECCOREV research federation, INEE-CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Marseille Municipality, Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, Council of the French Department of Bouches-du-Rhône) who turned possible the set-up of the 7ISEBE event in Marseille in 2023 and the ESPR editorial team who made possible the publication of this special issue. The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this editorial.

**References.**

Candal R, Curutchet GA, Domínguez-Montero L, Macarie H, Poggi-Varaldo HM, Sastre-Conde I, Vázquez SC (2018) Environmental biotechnology and engineering: two convergent areas to provide real solutions for a growing world. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:21267–21271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2636-4

Gortares-Maroyoqui P, Ulloa-Mercado RG, Ríos-Vázquez N., Breton-Deval L, Macarie H, Poggi-Varaldo HM, Sastre-Conde I (2020) Advances in environmental biotechnology and engineering 2018. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:28463–28468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09377-w

Poggi-Varaldo HM, Devault DA, Macarie H, Sastre-Conde I (2017) Environmental biotechnology and engineering: crucial tools for improving and caring for the environment and the quality of life of modern societies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:25483–25487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0621-y

**Guest editors of the special issue.**

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Hervé Macarie (ORCID [0000-0002-8233-6215](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8233-6215)) is a research officer at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD, ex-ORSTOM). In this position since October 1994, he has developed research on the technological and the microbiological aspects (taxonomy & ecology) of the anaerobic treatment of industrial wastewater and he has both an experience at lab and full scale (up to reactors of 20,000 m³). One of his main interests has been for the anaerobic degradation of xenobiotic compounds such as terephthalic acid and pentachlorophenol and the development of synchronous anaerobic/aerobic systems to achieve the full mineralization of this last compound. Since 2008, his research has been almost entirely focused on the microbial degradation of chlordecone, an organochlorine insecticide classified as POP (Persistant Organic Pollutant) by Stockholm convention, that was once used against the banana black weevils and that is now responsible, 32 years after the ban of its utilization, of a health, environmental, economic and social crisis in the French West Indies islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Along his career, he has been successively in position in Canada (postdoctoral fellow, BRI, NRC, 1992-1994), Mexico (visiting Professor, UAM-Iztapalapa, 1995-2000), continental France (Aix Marseille University, 2001-2010) and Martinique (CAEC, 2011-2014). Since 2015, he is based at Aix Marseille University and IMBE (Mediterranean Institute for Marine and Continental
Biodiversity and Ecology) where he pursues his research on the theoretical and experimental aspects of chlordecone degradation with the objective to understand the factors limiting its natural attenuation and the possibility to manipulate them in order to propose a bioremediation process to decontaminate the polluted soils.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

**Catherine Rébufa** (ORCID: [0000-0002-2931-2628](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2931-2628)) is a chemist in analytical chemistry at IMBE (Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, CNRS, IRD, UMR 7263). Her research focuses on the use of spectroscopic methods (FTIR, NIR, and 13C NMR) combined with statistical modeling for the identification, classification, traceability, and quality control of various organic materials, including natural products and soils. Her work involves monitoring their transformation under the influence of factors such as thermal and photochemical aging (natural or not), hydric stress, pedoclimatic conditions, as well as storage conditions. She uses also chromatographic techniques (HPLC, GC) in parallel as reference methods to complement and validate the spectroscopic results.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

**Yveline Le Dréau** (ORCID [0000-0002-2230-5505](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2230-5505)) is currently a lecturer and researcher at Aix-Marseille University in France, where she teaches analytical chemistry to students in the analytical chemistry and environmental management programs. She also conducts research at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Marine and Continental Ecology. After studying analytical chemistry and environmental sciences, Yveline Le Dréau's career began with doctoral research at the University of Marseille, focusing on the use of biogeochemical markers to monitor the *in situ* evolution of oil residues in marine sediments following pollution events. Since her appointment as an associate professor, Yveline Le Dréau's research has centered around (i) the exploration of the mechanisms of natural and simulated aging and has, therefore, employed spectroscopic and chemometric methods to monitor and predict these processes, (ii) the chemical characterization of products like olive oil and walnut oil based on their variety and geographic origin, to create reliable predictive models and practical traceability tools to support the food industry and fight fraud, (iii) the development of an optimized algorithm for chromatographic signal alignment, essential for ensuring reliable analytical results, especially in product authentication.

Expertise of Yveline Le Dréau lies at the intersection of analytical chemistry and multi-source data processing. Her work aims to provide innovative solutions, primarily for the food and composting industries, which seek to ensure product quality, traceability, and authentication. These advancements will also contribute to the valorization of plant biodiversity in agricultural regions.
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

**Carlos Escamilla-Alvarado** (ORCID [0000-0003-2152-7912](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2152-7912)) has been a member of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (FCQ) at UANL (Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León) since 2015, specializing in Sustainable Processes. He holds a degree in Industrial Chemical Engineering from ESIQIE at IPN (Instituto Politécnico Nacional) and completed postgraduate studies at Cinvestav's Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering in Mexico City. His research focuses on biorefineries of organic waste, biofuel production, and life cycle assessments. Dr. Escamilla has published over 26 SCI-JCR indexed articles and is a Level I researcher in the Mexican System of Researchers (SNI). His academic achievements include supervising doctoral and master's theses, one of which won the Mexican Hydrogen Society's 2020 award. He led the Sustainable Bioprocess Engineering academic group from 2016 to 2020. Notable awards include the 2015 Arturo Rosenblueth Award for the best doctoral thesis and second place in the Mexican Hydrogen Society's Postgraduate Thesis contest (2014-2015). Dr. Escamilla teaches undergraduate courses in Thermodynamics, Biochemistry and Refineries, and graduate courses in Experimental Design and Environmental Impact Assessment. He is a founder member and current president of the Association of Biotechnology, Environmental Engineering and Renewable Energies (ABIAER), which promotes, among others, The Symposiums on Environmental Biotechnology and Engineering (ISEBE) and The Symposium Environment and Bioenergy (SAB).

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

**David Fernández-Domínguez** (ORCID [0000-0003-3003-5311](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3003-5311)) is currently a Biological Monitoring Officer at ENGIE, where he oversees the biological performance of full-scale biomethane plants and contributes to optimizing plant design and layout. David's career began with research at the University of Barcelona in the Environmental Biotechnology Group, where he investigated the production of added-value products such as volatile fatty acids and bioplastics from organic waste, and worked on nitrogen recovery from residual effluents using gas-permeable membranes (2017-2020). In 2020, David moved to France to pursue a PhD at the INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement), focusing on the characterization of organic matter during anaerobic digestion, with a particular emphasis on the agricultural valorization of digestates. His research explored the use of spectroscopic methods and statistical modeling to better assess the transformation of organic matter in anaerobic digestion, as well as the main factors in anaerobic digestion influencing the properties of anaerobic digestates. His work primarily focused on laboratory-scale processes, including coupling processes and optimizing process parameters to enhance digestate quality (2020-2023). David's expertise lies in environmental biotechnology, anaerobic digestion, and the valorization of organic waste into sustainable resources.
<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

**Yannick Combet-Blanc** (ORCID [0000-0003-2694-1100](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2694-1100)). began his career in 1986 in the field of industrial effluent treatments for the pharmaceutical company ROUSSEL UCLAF. Since 1987, he is a research officer at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD). Firstly assigned in 1987 to the Cheikh Anta Diop University at Dakar (Senegal), he developed research on the valorization of biomass and organic waste of slaughterhouse through methane fermentation and on the microbial ecology of Senegalese palm wines. In 1992, back at Marseilles in the IRD Laboratory of Anaerobic Microorganisms, in collaboration with a consortium of private companies and public laboratories, he led a research program focused on optimizing lactic acid production for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers (Poly Lactic Acid). Since 1996, Yannick has been conducting ecophysiological research on hyperthermophilic microorganisms involved in the biogeochemical cycles of hydrogen (H₂) and sulfur compounds. In this context, he worked mainly on (i) *Thermotoga maritima* for hydrogen production from carbohydrates by dark fermentation of carbohydrates, and (ii) *Aquifex aeolicus* for understanding the metabolic pathways of hydrogen and thiosulfate assimilation and CO₂ fixation in autotrophic hyperthermophilic bacteria. In 2001, Yannick spent a year in Oregon (USA) at Portland State University, collaborating on projects focusing on molecular techniques used to study the ecology of bacteria, archaea, and viruses from marine and terrestrial hydrothermal springs. During his career and through IRD membership, Yannick has led numerous collaborative projects with partners in South countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Mexico, Tunisia). He is currently collaborating with Morocco (Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech and Mohamed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir) to develop projects on (i) a bioprocess for treating phosphate mine waste, and (ii) the microbial ecology of Moroccan hydrothermal springs.

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

**Isabel Sastre-Conde** (ORCID [0000-0001-6689-181X](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6689-181X)). holds a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and a PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. From 2000 to 2002, she participated to the Spanish-Mexican AECI-ANUIES programme for strengthening Mexican universities as a lecturer and researcher, initially at UNACAR (Universidad Autónoma del Carmen) in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, and subsequently at UV (Universidad Veracruzana) in Veracruz City. During this period, she initiated a collaboration with Dr. Poggi's environmental laboratory at Cinvestav-IPN in Mexico City, where she spent three brief periods in different years during a subsequent postdoctoral tenure (2002-2004) at IMIDRA (Madrid Institute for Rural, Agricultural and Food Research and Development) in Spain. In 2004, she was awarded a research position for a period of five years at the Conselleria d'Agricultura de les Illes Balears (Spain), in collaboration with DOC-INIA (National Institute of Agronomic Research). In 2006, she was offered a permanent research position at SEMILLA (now IRFAP), a semi-public company under the Regional Directorate of Agriculture of the Government of the Province of the Balearic Islands and integrated from 2015 to 2023 the INAGEA, a common research Institute between IRFAP and UIB (Balearic Island University) focused on food, agricultural and water resource preservation. She has contributed to a number of projects in
collaboration with IMIDRA as part of the EIADES and to bilateral projects with Mexico and France. For example, with Mexican partners, she was involved in a project on the impact of the oil industry on a coastal lagoon system and on another project about the impact of the irrigation with Mexico City raw sewage over a century on agricultural soils. With French partners, she worked on the microbial remediation of soils contaminated with the organochlorine insecticide chlordecone used in banana crops in French West Indies. For several years, her research also focused on the use of composted organic matter as an alternative to the inorganic nitrogen fertilizer currently used on major crops in the Balearic Islands (almonds and tomatoes) to minimize the risk of aquifer contamination by nitrate. All this research experience has enabled her to gain an in-depth understanding of soil properties in challenging environments. She has particular expertise in soils under natural, agricultural, degraded and contaminated conditions. In the past years she was engaged in a number of collaborative projects related to the use of soil for sustainable agriculture, the remediation of contaminated soils with nanomaterials, and the role of soil in the agricultural problems caused by the *Xylella fastidiosa* bacteria in the Balearic Islands. More recently, she has been involved in projects to evaluate the effectiveness of new generation fertilizers and pesticides, as well as in the design of protocols for soil remediation under extreme conditions, in collaboration with IMIDRA in Madrid. Additionally, she has been engaged with INAGEA-UIB on a project to achieve the sustainability of vine plantations through the use of beneficial microorganisms for climatic conditions of water deficit.