The hydrocarbon pollution crisis: Harnessing the earth hydrocarbon‐degrading microbiome.

The article discusses the ongoing issue of hydrocarbon pollution and the need to harness the hydrocarbon-degrading microbiome to mitigate its impact on the environment. It highlights the various sources of hydrocarbon pollution, including industrial and petroleum activities, wildfires, and natural sources. The article also explores the microbial communities that inhabit hydrocarbon-contaminated sites and their role in hydrocarbon degradation. It discusses the challenges and potential of using synthetic biology approaches to design engineered microbial communities for bioremediation. The article emphasizes the importance of monitoring methods and holistic approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of bioremediation treatments. The research work of the authors was funded by various projects, and they declare no competing interests. [Extracted from the article]