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Integrating electroactive microorganisms into active soil management strategies

Integrating electroactive microorganisms into active soil management strategies
Integrating electroactive microorganisms into active soil management strategies
Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) can be incorporated into active soil management as a strategy for regenerative agriculture. Through extracellular electron transfer, they drive nutrient cycling, biofertilization, and pollutant degradation while also producing bioelectricity. Soil microbial fuel cells exemplify their use as self-powered biosensors and platforms for bioremediation. Reframing soils as dynamic bioelectronic interfaces, EAMs enable nutrient recovery, waste valorisation, and resilience. The concept of “gardening microorganisms” integrates them as programmable agents within managed ecosystems. By coupling microbial consortia engineering, bioelectronic scaffolds, and circular nutrient recovery, soils work as intelligent, self-regulating systems. This review positions EAMs as a tool in soil management for shaping climate-smart, regenerative agroecosystems that sustain productivity and ecological balance.
MFC, agriculture, genomics, innovation, sustainability
1664-302X
Modesto, Lenon Romano
d1e2e2d2-228d-4fb5-9d3e-f7cfb7a8d342
Baquedano, Ignacio
de2a0d36-b79b-4049-a880-d15a4342a356
Ramalhete, Ezgi Öğün
91536069-dd6d-449c-b09d-d2018af7b271
Mena, Silvia
470802eb-5d56-4532-bd8b-b4a9dab2eff9
Sharma, Mukesh
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Rodríguez-Núñez, Pablo
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Danilov, Ivana
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Nath, Dibyojyoty
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Tait, Natasha
ed174074-7459-40e7-8f59-05a596dab7a6
Moro, Ignacio Javier
b450df58-5b53-4703-80fc-a86fa8037b2e
Reutina, Uliana
fa05be7c-b322-4f38-b4b2-37028fe8d898
Yücel, Işıl
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Vučetić, Snežana
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Prieto, Alicia
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Colliaux, David
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Barriuso, Jorge
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Guirado, Gonzalo
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Ieropoulos, Yannis
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Munoz-Berbel, Xavier
bb0ea359-f9cc-40b3-b20d-1bab4193573e
Grahovac, Jovana
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Hanappe, Peter
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Uria, Naroa
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Schmidt, Markus R.
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Armstrong, Rachel
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et al.
Modesto, Lenon Romano
d1e2e2d2-228d-4fb5-9d3e-f7cfb7a8d342
Baquedano, Ignacio
de2a0d36-b79b-4049-a880-d15a4342a356
Ramalhete, Ezgi Öğün
91536069-dd6d-449c-b09d-d2018af7b271
Mena, Silvia
470802eb-5d56-4532-bd8b-b4a9dab2eff9
Sharma, Mukesh
4de08983-801e-40cf-ad6f-f172c2ec97b2
Rodríguez-Núñez, Pablo
36a3f47a-3610-4b92-bfc3-d695d9433063
Danilov, Ivana
d0f7c515-e4f4-47ea-b8e0-2f8f682a44e0
Nath, Dibyojyoty
49f9c27b-09ac-45da-b4e0-f5cabeb61c9a
Tait, Natasha
ed174074-7459-40e7-8f59-05a596dab7a6
Moro, Ignacio Javier
b450df58-5b53-4703-80fc-a86fa8037b2e
Reutina, Uliana
fa05be7c-b322-4f38-b4b2-37028fe8d898
Yücel, Işıl
834f3748-2da9-4704-bf3f-db37261e51de
Vučetić, Snežana
4f5ab9de-4fe7-4820-83c3-af57615b1205
Prieto, Alicia
76045545-1b3d-4185-95fd-4322cce57a88
Colliaux, David
816a1751-b6ed-4f70-80f8-92513093005f
Barriuso, Jorge
41a3fa7f-8120-4ea3-a159-e83cb3f96da0
Guirado, Gonzalo
f4d6be16-b1e6-4f1a-b202-809291b51281
Ieropoulos, Yannis
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Munoz-Berbel, Xavier
bb0ea359-f9cc-40b3-b20d-1bab4193573e
Grahovac, Jovana
e3132457-1638-40ff-968e-967025abde88
Hanappe, Peter
5b3c8095-6679-411f-93ba-83adf5a42483
Uria, Naroa
aed50cf1-0f90-47b4-b769-7a8588a55505
Schmidt, Markus R.
51881046-fe21-41d4-9e36-bda8d432da91
Armstrong, Rachel
3a175396-23b7-410e-9115-500a112405a0

Modesto, Lenon Romano, Baquedano, Ignacio and Ramalhete, Ezgi Öğün , et al. (2026) Integrating electroactive microorganisms into active soil management strategies. Frontiers in Microbiology, 17, [1753999]. (doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1753999).

Record type: Review

Abstract

Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) can be incorporated into active soil management as a strategy for regenerative agriculture. Through extracellular electron transfer, they drive nutrient cycling, biofertilization, and pollutant degradation while also producing bioelectricity. Soil microbial fuel cells exemplify their use as self-powered biosensors and platforms for bioremediation. Reframing soils as dynamic bioelectronic interfaces, EAMs enable nutrient recovery, waste valorisation, and resilience. The concept of “gardening microorganisms” integrates them as programmable agents within managed ecosystems. By coupling microbial consortia engineering, bioelectronic scaffolds, and circular nutrient recovery, soils work as intelligent, self-regulating systems. This review positions EAMs as a tool in soil management for shaping climate-smart, regenerative agroecosystems that sustain productivity and ecological balance.

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fmicb-17-1753999 - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 15 January 2026
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 February 2026
Published date: 11 February 2026
Keywords: MFC, agriculture, genomics, innovation, sustainability

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 510229
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510229
DOI: doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1753999
ISSN: 1664-302X
PURE UUID: b57e34bf-753b-455e-b075-732332e67bd0
ORCID for Yannis Ieropoulos: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9641-5504

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 23 Mar 2026 18:10
Last modified: 24 Mar 2026 03:07

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Contributors

Author: Lenon Romano Modesto
Author: Ignacio Baquedano
Author: Ezgi Öğün Ramalhete
Author: Silvia Mena
Author: Mukesh Sharma
Author: Pablo Rodríguez-Núñez
Author: Ivana Danilov
Author: Dibyojyoty Nath
Author: Natasha Tait
Author: Ignacio Javier Moro
Author: Uliana Reutina
Author: Işıl Yücel
Author: Snežana Vučetić
Author: Alicia Prieto
Author: David Colliaux
Author: Jorge Barriuso
Author: Gonzalo Guirado
Author: Yannis Ieropoulos ORCID iD
Author: Xavier Munoz-Berbel
Author: Jovana Grahovac
Author: Peter Hanappe
Author: Naroa Uria
Author: Markus R. Schmidt
Author: Rachel Armstrong
Corporate Author: et al.

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