Biodegradation publishes papers, reviews, and mini-reviews on all aspects of science pertaining to the cellular transport, biotransformation, detoxification, mineralization of chemicals or waste materials by naturally occurring microbial strains, microbial associations, or recombinant organisms. Key areas include the development and assessment of sustainable biotechnology, microbial ecological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in degradation, and the regulation and process optimization of biodegradative systems. Submissions of manuscripts describing fundamental studies and novel discoveries are highly encouraged. Biodegradation does not publish routine case studies or results of biotreatment demonstrations that do not present new concepts or novel observations. Scope and Areas of Interest includes: Bioremediation: Innovative studies on the use of microbial strains, consortia, or recombinant organisms for the cleanup of traditional or emerging pollutants and recovery of contaminated environments, including soil, water, and sewage. Special emphasis is placed on remediation approaches that integrate sustainability principles, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance ecosystem resilience. Sustainable Biotechnology: Development and application of microbial and biochemical technologies for sustainable waste management, recycling, and resource recovery. Research on methods for the sustainable assessment of biodegradative systems. Environmental Microbiology and Ecology: Research on microbial community dynamics, interactions, and functional roles in natural and engineered ecosystems, particularly under environmentally relevant conditions such as realistic contaminant concentrations, temperature, pH, and other matrix constituents. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Degradation Pathways: Detailed investigations into the novel enzymatic mechanisms, regulatory networks, and genetic adaptations that underlie the breakdown and transformation of organic and inorganic compounds, including traditional and emerging pollutants. Biodegradation of Emerging Pollutants: Cellular transport, transformation, detoxification, and mineralization processes of emerging pollutants such as disinfection by-products, microplastics, pharmaceutical and personal care products, and persistent organic chemicals, through naturally occurring or artificially constructed microbial strains or consortia, as well as the physiological metabolic responses and enzymatic reaction mechanisms involved in these processes. Novel Substrates and Metabolic Pathways: Exploration of new substrates and metabolic pathways in biodegradation, including the discovery and characterization of novel microbial species or consortia. Regulation and Enhancement of Biodegradation: This includes the enhancement strategies of naturally occurring biodegradative properties and activities, the design and deployment of engineered microbial consortia, synthetic biology approaches to enhance bioremediation efficiency and specificity. Engineering Application of Biodegradative Systems: Insights into the modelling, scale-up and industrial application of biotechnological processes, including bioreactor design, process optimization, and the economic and legal considerations of bioremediation technologies. .