In vitro culture: a tool for phytoremediation purposes

Phytoremediation is a developing strategy for the restoration of contaminated soils and waters. Many efforts are devoted to the development of this technology and biotechnologies are now available for enlarging the possibilities of its exploitation. In vitro cultures constitute, in particular, a powerful tool and in this chapter their role in phytoremediation is extensively explored. The role of cell, tissue culture and micropropagation in the understanding of the processes related to the uptake of pollutants by plants and the direct use for phytoremediation purposes of plants multiplied by in vitro cultures has been examined. In a second paragraph, the attention has been focused on the interactions between plants and microbial communities in the rhizosphere that play a relevant role for applications in phytoremediation and whose investigations are mostly based on in vitro technologies. In the final paragraph, the huge possibilities opened by genetic engineering are illustrated, pointing out how, in genetically modified plants, the overexpression of genes involved in metabolism, uptake, or transport of specific pollutants represents a promising method for enhancing the effectiveness of phytoremediation.