Biochar and beneficial microbes team up to protect crops and restore cadmium contaminated soils

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Biochar and microbial synergy: enhancing tobacco plant resistance and soil remediation under cadmium stress

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Credit: Tianbao Ren, Huilin Feng, Wan Adibah Wan Mahari, Fei Yun, Maosen Li, Nyuk Ling Ma, Xianjie Cai, Guoshun Liu, Rock Keey Liew & Su Shiung Lam

Soil contamination by cadmium is a growing global challenge that threatens food safety, agricultural productivity, and environmental health. Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal that accumulates easily in soils and crops, entering the food chain and posing long term risks to humans and ecosystems. A new study shows that a simple combination of biochar and beneficial microorganisms can significantly reduce cadmium stress in crops while restoring soil health.

Researchers from Henan Agricultural University and international partners report that adding biochar together with the beneficial fungus Trichoderma to contaminated soils improved plant growth, reduced cadmium uptake, and enhanced soil microbial diversity. Their findings were published in the journal Biochar.

The research focused on tobacco, a crop known to readily accumulate cadmium and often grown in contaminated regions. Using controlled pot experiments, the team compared plants grown in clean soil, cadmium contaminated soil, and contaminated soil amended with biochar alone or biochar combined with Trichoderma. Biochar is a carbon rich material produced by heating agricultural waste under low oxygen conditions and is increasingly recognized for its soil improvement potential.

Cadmium stress sharply reduced photosynthesis, biomass production, and soil enzyme activity. However, when biochar was added, plants recovered much of their photosynthetic capacity. The greatest improvements occurred when biochar was combined with Trichoderma, a fungus widely used in agriculture for promoting plant growth and resilience.

“Cadmium severely suppresses plant physiological processes, especially photosynthesis,” said corresponding author Tianbao Ren. “We found that biochar can partially reverse these effects, but when biochar and beneficial microbes work together, the benefits are much stronger and more consistent.”

Plants grown with both biochar and microbes showed higher photosynthetic efficiency, greater dry matter accumulation, and improved resistance to cadmium toxicity. Importantly, the treatment also limited the movement of cadmium from roots to leaves, which is critical for reducing contamination in harvested plant tissues.

The soil itself also benefited from the combined amendment. Cadmium contamination reduced soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass, indicators of poor soil health. Biochar restored these functions, while the addition of Trichoderma further increased microbial diversity and promoted beneficial microbial groups associated with nutrient cycling and soil stability.

“Soil is a living system, not just a physical medium,” said co corresponding author Su Shiung Lam. “Our results show that rebuilding the soil microbial community is key to long term remediation. Biochar provides a habitat, and microorganisms bring the biological functions needed for recovery.”

The study highlights a synergistic mechanism. Biochar adsorbs cadmium and reduces its bioavailability, while its porous structure creates favorable conditions for microbial colonization. Trichoderma further enhances nutrient availability, enzyme activity, and plant stress tolerance, leading to a healthier soil plant system overall.

Although the experiments were conducted with tobacco, the researchers say the findings have broad implications for sustainable agriculture and soil remediation worldwide. The approach uses low cost materials, agricultural residues, and naturally occurring microorganisms, making it suitable for large scale application.

“This strategy offers a practical and environmentally friendly solution for managing cadmium contaminated soils,” Ren said. “By combining physical immobilization with biological restoration, we can protect crops, improve soil health, and reduce environmental risks at the same time.”

As cadmium pollution continues to threaten farmland globally, integrated solutions like biochar microbe systems may play a critical role in ensuring safe food production and long term soil sustainability.

 

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Journal Reference: Ren, T., Feng, H., Wan Mahari, W.A. et al. Biochar and microbial synergy: enhancing tobacco plant resistance and soil remediation under cadmium stress. Biochar 7, 119 (2025).   

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-025-00535-2  

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About Biochar

Biochar is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field. 

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Journal

Biochar

DOI

10.1007/s42773-025-00535-2 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Biochar and microbial synergy: enhancing tobacco plant resistance and soil remediation under cadmium stress

 

Fathers’ microplastic exposure tied to their children’s metabolic problems

UC Riverside-led mouse study finds microplastics affect male and female offspring differently

University of California - Riverside

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Changcheng Zhou is a professor of biomedical sciences at UC Riverside.

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Credit: UC Riverside School of Medicine.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A study led by biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has shown for the first time that a father’s exposure to microplastics (MPs) can trigger metabolic dysfunctions in his offspring. The research, conducted using mouse models, highlights a previously unknown pathway through which environmental pollutants impact the health of future generations.

While MPs have already been detected in human reproductive systems, the study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, is the first to bridge the gap between paternal exposure to MPs and the long-term health of the next generation (the “F1 offspring”).

MPs are tiny plastic particles (less than 5 millimeters) resulting from the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste. Metabolic disorders refer to a cluster of conditions — including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess body fat — that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

To induce metabolic disorders in F1 offspring, the researchers fed them a high-fat diet. This approach helps reveal the effects of paternal exposure that might otherwise remain mild or hidden under normal diet conditions. The high-fat diet mimics common unhealthy eating patterns, such as the Western diet, and amplifies metabolic risks. Because the fathers themselves were fed a regular diet, the obesity seen in F1 offspring is diet-induced.

The research team found that female offspring of male mice exposed to MPs were significantly more susceptible to metabolic disorders than offspring of unexposed fathers, despite all offspring being fed the same high-fat diet. 

“The exact reasons for this sex-specific effect are still unclear,” said Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine and the lead author of the study. “In our study, female offspring developed diabetic phenotypes. We observed upregulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-diabetic genes in their livers — genes previously linked to diabetes. These changes were not seen in male offspring.” 

The research team found that while male offspring did not develop diabetes, they showed a slight yet significant decrease in fat mass. Female offspring showed decreased muscle mass alongside increased diabetes.

To understand how the trait was passed down, the researchers used a specialized sequencing technology called PANDORA-seq, developed at UCR. They found that MP exposure alters the “cargo” of the sperm, affecting small molecules that regulate how genes are turned on and off.

Specifically, the MP exposure significantly altered the sperm’s small RNA profile, including tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and rRNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) — types of small non-coding RNAs. Unlike DNA, which provides the “blueprint” for life, these RNA molecules may act like “dimmer switches” for genes, controlling how much or how little a gene is expressed during development.

“To our knowledge, ours is the first study to show that paternal exposure to microplastics can affect sperm small non-coding RNA profiles and induce metabolic disorders in offspring,” Zhou said.

Zhou emphasized that the study suggests the impact of plastic pollution is not limited to the individual exposed; it may leave a biological imprint that predisposes children to chronic diseases. 

“Our discovery opens a new frontier in environmental health, shifting the focus toward how both parents’ environments contribute to the health of their children,” he said. “These findings from a mouse study likely have implications for humans. Men planning to have children should consider reducing their exposure to harmful substances like microplastics to protect both their health and that of their future children.”

The research team hopes the findings will guide future investigation into how MPs and even smaller nanoplastics affect human development. 

“Our future studies will likely look at whether maternal exposure produces similar risks and how these metabolic changes might be mitigated,” Zhou said.

Zhou was joined in the study by Seung Hyun Park, Jianfei Pan, Ting-An Lin, Sijie Tang, and Sihem Cheloufi at UCR; Xudong Zhang and Qi Chen at the University of Utah School of Medicine; and Tong Zhou at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.

The study was partially supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

The title of the paper is “Paternal microplastic exposure alters sperm small non-coding RNAs and affects offspring metabolic health in mice.”

The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment is more than 26,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual impact of more than $2.7 billion on the U.S. economy. To learn more, visit www.ucr.edu.

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Journal

Journal of the Endocrine Society

DOI

10.1210/jendso/bvaf214 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Paternal microplastic exposure alters sperm small non-coding RNAs and affects offspring metabolic health in mice

Article Publication Date

18-Dec-202

 

Biomass-based carbon capture spotlighted in newly released global climate webinar recording

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Harnessing Nature’s Carbon Engine: Biomass as a Pillar of Climate Mitigation

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Credit: Dato’ Dr. Agamutu Pariatamby FASc

As countries around the world grapple with the challenge of achieving net-zero emissions, a newly released online webinar recording is drawing attention to one of the most promising and underappreciated climate solutions: biomass-based carbon capture. The full recording of the international seminar, held online on December 17, 2025, is now freely available on YouTube, offering researchers, policymakers, and the public an accessible deep dive into how nature’s carbon cycle can be harnessed for large-scale climate mitigation.

The webinar, titled Harnessing Nature’s Carbon Engine: Biomass as a Pillar of Climate Mitigation, features a keynote presentation by Prof. Dato’ Dr. Agamutu Pariatamby FASc, Senior Professor at the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at Sunway University in Malaysia. The session was hosted by Prof. Siming You of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom and attracted an international audience interested in practical, science-based pathways toward decarbonization.

In the talk, Prof. Pariatamby outlines how bio-based carbon capture approaches could collectively deliver up to 6.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in annual mitigation potential by 2050, based on estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These approaches include bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, biochar soil amendments, composting of organic waste, agroforestry, and regenerative agricultural practices.

“Biomass is often viewed simply as a renewable fuel, but its real power lies in its ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soils and long-lived systems,” said Prof. Pariatamby during the webinar. “When designed correctly, these solutions are scalable, cost-effective, and particularly relevant for developing regions.”

The recording explains how different biomass pathways contribute to climate mitigation. Bioenergy with carbon capture could sequester between 3.5 and 5.0 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, while biochar application has the potential to lock away 1.1 to 3.3 gigatonnes annually, depending on soil and management conditions. Composting organic residues such as food waste and manure can further reduce emissions by avoiding methane release and enhancing soil carbon storage.

Beyond climate benefits, the webinar emphasizes the broader co-benefits of biomass-based systems. Long-term application of compost and biochar can increase soil organic carbon by 10 to 40 percent, improving soil fertility, water retention, and resilience to drought. Decentralized biomass solutions can also reduce landfill waste, generate renewable energy for rural communities, and create local green jobs.

By making the full webinar recording publicly available on YouTube, the organizers aim to extend the impact of the discussion well beyond the live event. The recording serves as a resource for scientists, students, decision-makers, and sustainability practitioners seeking evidence-based insights into nature-positive climate strategies.

The webinar recording is now available for on-demand viewing on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ojXxNI9AjcI?si=wg9s1OhBLUF7zb4r  

 

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About Carbon Research

The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.

Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky. 

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About Biochar

Biochar is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field. 

Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.  

Predictive “mismatch” leads to carbon capture breakthrough

Work revealing how water impacts carbon dioxide capture from air named Journal of the American Chemical Society “Editor’s Choice”

University of Chicago

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Hilal Daglar, a former postdoctoral researcher in the lab of UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Chemistry Department Prof. Laura Gagliardi, is first author of a new paper with Gagliardi and Nobel Laureate Omar Yaghi that outlined a new method for excluding water when using covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to build carbon capture materials

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Credit: Photo provided by Hilal Daglar

When experimental results don’t match scientists’ predictions, it’s usually assumed the predictions were wrong. But new research into materials that pull carbon dioxide directly from the air shows how such mismatches can instead be powerful clues, leading to discoveries that reshape how future materials are designed.

In a paper published Dec. 21 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), a team led by Prof. Laura Gagliardi of the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and Department of Chemistry and Nobel laureate Prof. Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley outlined a new method for excluding water when using covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to build carbon capture materials.

In recognition of the scientific importance and real-world impact of this research, JACS selected the paper as its “Editor’s Choice.” 

“Mismatches between simulations and experiments are not failures, but opportunities,” said first author Hilal Daglar, who conducted the work as a postdoctoral researcher in Gagliardi’s lab and is now with UL Research Institutes. “In this project, those discrepancies guided us toward residual water and subtle structural features that were not obvious at first glance.”

The work came from The Center for Advanced Materials for Environmental Solutions (CAMES), which Gagliardi co-directs as part of the University of Chicago Institute for Climate & Sustainable Growth. By outlining a design strategy where researchers introduce hydrophobic pore environments to exclude retained water, the research will allow scientists to create more effective and efficient solutions for air pollution.

“We think of CAMES as a bridge between materials discovered in the lab and real-world environmental impact,” said CAMES Co-Director Doug Weinberg. “Our role isn’t just to support breakthrough science. It’s to help ensure those breakthroughs matter beyond the lab. Hilal’s work is a great example of that mission in action.”

Exploring the mystery

Gagliardi has studied the power and potential of COFs and reticular chemistry for the last ten years, but COFs were thrust into the public eye this year after Gagliardi’s longtime collaborator Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson.

“These materials are known as reticular frameworks, meaning they are built from well-defined molecular building blocks that are connected through strong chemical bonds into extended crystalline networks,” Gagliardi said. “Because the connectivity is designed at the molecular level, these frameworks contain uniform, nanoscale pores, giving them exceptionally large internal surface areas that can be deliberately functionalized for specific applications.”

By using those large cavities to capture and store airborne pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane, Gagliardi and her team hope to use these materials’ unique properties for this major environmental issue. 

Harnessing Gagliardi’s theoretical modeling expertise, Daglar and Gagliardi performed complex computer simulations predicting the structure of COF-999-NH2, the precursor of COF-999, a promising material for CO2 capture from air. But there was a disconnect between their predictions and the results produced by the experimentalists on Yaghi’s team. 

Rather than assume failure of the computations, the theorists and experimentalists dove into this mystery together, coming up with new, unexpected insights.

“In this back and forth between experiment and theory, we started to hypothesize that there were some residual water molecules in the synthesized material, which we initially did not include in our model because the experimentalists thought that the material had been completely dehydrated,” Gagliardi said. 

New insights, new rule

This investigation led not only to new insights into the cause of this predictive mismatch, but a path to better, more effective carbon capture in the future. They created a simple, actionable design rule for future researchers: controlling the pore hydrophobicity during the polymerization of COF-999 avoids water retention.

“This prevents adsorption site blockage and undesired side reactions, enabling more effective carbon capture,” Daglar said. 

Beyond this core finding, the research also revealed previously unknown insights about COFs, including that the stacking heterogeneity, buckling and lattice contraction they were seeing were features, not bugs, intrinsic to their precursor chemical.

Gagliardi said the emergence of these important results from predictions that conflicted with experiment underscores the central role of computational modeling in enabling the research.

“To advance these discoveries, computations and simulations are indispensable,” she said. “On the computer, you can try things that maybe your chemical intuition might not suggest right away. The computer can give you some useful answers that allow you to think in a different way.”

Citation: “Discovery of Stacking Heterogeneity Layer Buckling and Residual Water in COF-999-NH2 and Implications on CO2 Capture,” Daglar et al, Journal of the American Chemical Society, December 21, 2025. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c18608

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Journal

Journal of the American Chemical Society

DOI

10.1021/jacs.5c18608 

Article Title

Discovery of Stacking Heterogeneity, Layer Buckling, and Residual Water in COF-999-NH2 and Implications on CO2 Capture

Article Publication Date

21-Dec-2025