Genomic tools in bioremediation.

Bioremediation is a process that uses microorganisms or their enzymes to remove pollutants from the environment. Generally, bioremediation technologies can be classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere. Like so much else in biology, the ease and availability of genomic data has created a new level of understanding this system. Bioremediation capabilities of the microbial population can be analyzed; not only by physiological parameters, but also by the use of genomic tools, and efficient remediation strategies can be planned. PCR and DNA- or oligonucleotide-based microarray technology is a powerful functional genomics tool that allows researchers to view the physiology of a living cell from a comprehensive and dynamic molecular perspective. This paper explores the use of such tools in bioremediation process.