Introduction

Abstract

Environmental biotechnology is the application of biotechnology to natural, agricultural and man-made environments. Although generally associated in many peoples’ minds merely with bioremediation i.e. the use of living organisms to help clean up the environment, environmental biotechnology includes a wide variety of applications. Diverse examples of these include the use of microorganisms in ore leaching and the development of biofertilizers and biopesticides for use in the agricultural environment. Traditionally environmental biotechnology is usually restricted to the employment of microbial activities but mention will be made throughout this book of the increasing application of higher plants in environmental biotechnology, notably in bioremediation; as a result, environmental biotechnology can no longer be thought of merely as an extension of applied microbiology.