Sustainable Horizons最新文献

{"title":"Advancing sludge bulking control in wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review of detection, identification, and strategic interventions","authors":"Han-Jun Sun ,&nbsp;Shan-Shan Yang ,&nbsp;Yi-Lin Zhao ,&nbsp;Ying Chen ,&nbsp;Tong Wu ,&nbsp;Le Zhong ,&nbsp;Chen-Hao Cui ,&nbsp;Meng-Qi Ding ,&nbsp;Min Liu ,&nbsp;Ji-Wei Pang ,&nbsp;Lu-Yan Zhang ,&nbsp;Ding-Ding Tang ,&nbsp;Yan Zhou ,&nbsp;Qiong Qin ,&nbsp;Xiao-Qing Dong ,&nbsp;Nan-Qi Ren ,&nbsp;Jie Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sludge bulking, characterized by poor sludge settleability and unchecked proliferation of filamentous bacteria, poses a significant challenge to the efficiency of the activated sludge (AS) process. Employing bibliometric methods to navigate through recent literature, this literature review delves into the latest advancements in detection, identification, and control strategies for sludge bulking, highlighting the role of modern diagnostic tools, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and high-throughput sequencing. These methodologies have revolutionized our understanding of microbial communities, offering detailed insights into their dynamics and interactions. Quantitative image analysis, facilitated by sophisticated microscopy and computational techniques, has emerged as a powerful tool for examining floc characteristics and quantifying filamentous bacteria, enhancing the precision of sludge bulking detection. This review emphasizes the integration of operational data with machine learning and statistical methods to refine predictive accuracy, which is crucial for early detection and effective management of sludge bulking. It evaluates a range of control strategies—from chemical to biological and physical methods—underscoring the potential of emerging technologies, such as quorum quenching and magnetic fields in addressing sludge bulking issues. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates microbial ecology, process engineering, and technological innovations, the manuscript offers a holistic perspective on sludge bulking challenges. It shows the importance of integrated, multifaceted strategies that consider the ecological balance within AS systems to achieve long-term control of sludge bulking. This review not only synthesizes the current state of knowledge but also identifies gaps, setting the stage for future research aimed at developing sustainable solutions to enhance the reliability and performance of wastewater treatment plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100142"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization and evaluation of commercial biochar for surface water purification","authors":"Lorenzo Animali ,&nbsp;Sveva Corrado ,&nbsp;Nicola Mitillo ,&nbsp;Paola Tuccimei ,&nbsp;Mattia Bartoli ,&nbsp;Massimo Mattei ,&nbsp;Mauro Giorcelli","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar is a promising material for carbon storage and water purification, particularly for heavy metal removal. The transition from laboratory studies to real-world applications remains challenging due to variability in commercial biochar properties and lack of testing on multi-contaminant matrixes.</div><div>The study aims at bridging such a gap by characterizing and testing nine commercial biochar in the real case scenario of the area surrounding the decommissioned Malagrotta landfilling site (Latium region, central Italy). The area is notorious for legal, social, health and environmental issues. Periodic monitoring performed by local authorities classifies chemical water quality as scarce. In this context, the effect of environmental water-biochar interactions was tested on surface water samples. Biochar multi-method characterization was carried out through optical microscopy, SEM, EDX spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, ICP-MS, pH-electric conductivity and FT-IR spectroscopy.</div><div>Biochar characterization allowed systematic comparison not possible trough commercial labels: bulk composition is carbonaceous (78–92 %); mineralization mostly consists of calcite (&lt;8 % for most samples); heavy metal contaminants are present (up to &gt;100 ppm for Chromium and Zinc); pH ranges from 8 to 12, bearing exponential relationship with electrical conductivity (EC230–2417 µS); FT-IR spectra testify high aromaticity and variability in oxygenated (≈1700 cm^-1) functional groups, less abundant in pyro-gasification-produced biochar compared to pyrolysis-produced ones.Contrary to expectations, trace pollutant concentrations in Malagrotta waters are within legal limits. Thus Malagrotta case study explores bottom thresholds for surface water treatment using biochar. Low trace contaminant concentrations hinder detection of adsorption phenomena. Moreover, leaching tests utilising drinking water and high biochar dosage (10 g/L) demonstrate biochar's safety, as leaching is limited to few μg/L. These results are instrumental in elaborating biochar specific water treatment regulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100145"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative contributions of primary emission and secondary production of HONO from unfertilized soil in Eastern China","authors":"Mei-Yi Fan ,&nbsp;Yan-Kun Xiang ,&nbsp;Yan-Lin Zhang ,&nbsp;Yu-Chi Lin ,&nbsp;Fang Cao ,&nbsp;Ruonan Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Liu ,&nbsp;Hang Su","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrous acid (HONO), as a crucial precursor of hydroxyl radical (OH) in the atmosphere, dominates the atmospheric oxidizing capacity. Soil microbial activity is a considerable HONO emission source. However, soil can also provide a reaction interface for the secondary production of HONO, but its importance has not been quantitatively demonstrated in the field environment. In this study, observations of stable nitrogen isotope (δ¹⁵N) and oxygen isotope anomaly (Δ¹⁷O) of HONO released from farmland soil were conducted to identify the relative importance of primary and secondary HONO sources. The results showed that the HONO emission flux (<em>F</em>_HONO), δ¹⁵N-HONO, and Δ¹⁷O-HONO exhibited differences between intensive fertilization and idle farmland soils, which were 43.9 ± 11.8 ng m^-2 s^-1 and 4.8 ± 2.7 ng m^-2 s^-1 for <em>F</em>_HONO, -24.3 ± 4.2 ‰ and −19.1 ± 6.3 ‰ for δ¹⁵N-HONO, and 0.6 ± 0.3 ‰ and 6.2 ± 2.0 ‰ for Δ¹⁷O-HONO, respectively. Constrained by Δ¹⁷O and δ¹⁵N observations of HONO from farmland soil using a Bayesian isotope mixing model, we quantified that 95 % of the <em>F</em>_HONO during the intensive fertilization period was contributed by soil bacterial activities, including 47 ± 10 % by nitrification and 48 ± 10 % by denitrification. In idle farmland, where the effects of fertilization are not evident, primary emissions originating from bacterial activities accounted for 48 % to 62 % of the HONO emission flux. The remaining 38 % to 52 % of F_HONO was attributed to the heterogeneous hydrolysis of NO₂ occurring on the soil surface. The results highlighted the important contribution of secondary HONO production on the soil surface, a factor that should be considered in model framework for the simulation of soil HONO emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring potential ecological risks of antibiotic–resistance genes in soil–plant systems caused by manure application","authors":"Tingting Song ,&nbsp;Honghui Teng ,&nbsp;Yushan Li ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Changsheng He ,&nbsp;Baiyun Li ,&nbsp;Tao Zhou ,&nbsp;Xuerong Wang ,&nbsp;Binxu Li ,&nbsp;Hongna Li","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Residual antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in manure have attracted increasing attention for their potential to contaminate agricultural soils and enter the food chain. Previous studies have primarily focused on their fate in soil and water environment, while the specific transmission pathways and the ecological risks associated with ARGs in various soil–plant systems remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the migration behavior and transmission mechanisms of ARGs in three representative cropland soils (black, fluvo–aquic, and red soils) using pakchoi as a model plant. The results demonstrate that ARGs in pakchoi are influenced not only by the presence of manure and chlortetracycline (CTC) but also by soil type. The presence of CTC in soil promoted the proliferation of <em>Acinetobacter</em> and increased the possibility of transmitting pathogenic bacteria (<em>Klebsiella, Rhodococcus, Corynebacterium_1</em> and <em>Pseudarthrobacter</em>) to pakchoi. Moreover, the levels of <em>int</em>I1 were the highest in CTC–manure treatments for black and red soils (1.70 and 1.65 times higher compared with that for fluvo–aquic soil, respectively), indicating an elevated risk of antibiotic resistance spreading and horizontal gene transfer in pakchoi. Furthermore, the introduction of CTC and manure into soil altered the composition of potential host bacteria, primarily <em>Chryseobacterium</em> and <em>Exiguobacterium</em>, which harbor ARGs such as <em>mdt</em>B, <em>ole</em>C, <em>kat</em>G and <em>bcr</em>A in pakchoi. PICRUSt function prediction analysis revealed that the variations of ARGs were primarily influenced by metabolism–related functional microorganisms. These findings provide valuable insights into the transmission routes and potential ecological risks associated with ARGs in diverse soil–plant systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prospecting the engineered environmental carbon sinks and ensuring long-term sustainability of karst areas impacted by heavy metal","authors":"Muhammad Adnan ,&nbsp;Mingyu Shao ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ubaid Ali ,&nbsp;Junyao Yan ,&nbsp;Baohua Xiao ,&nbsp;Xianjin An ,&nbsp;Muhammad Farooq ,&nbsp;Kashif Hayat","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study responds to the critical challenge of addressing heavy metal pollution and its impacts on soil carbon storage associated with rocky desertification, especially in karst areas. It showcases key strategies of eco-friendly corrosion inhibition using green inhibitors and discusses the environmental implications in soil and water structure due to hazardous pollutants like heavy metals and chemicals introduced by industries. Pollution taxes and clean technology subsidies are two ways that have successfully restrained industrial pollution while sustainably incentivizing practices. Incorporation of novel mitigation approaches into the industrial process is therefore critical to reduce heavy metal overconsumption and amplify carbon sink resilience. At its best, sustainability in business takes the shape of environmentally friendly practices like optimized supply chain functions and waste minimization that drive improved environmental responsibility and brand integrity to improve operational proficiency. The study highlights the need for interdisciplinary solutions that fit technological advances, policy responses, and stakeholder engagement to help deliver environmental stewardship alongside sustainable development. Dealing with heavy metal contamination, an effective solution, requires ongoing monitoring and remediation practices along with policies that focus on protecting ecosystems in the long term while maintaining environmental sustainability. Carbon sequestration attempts are hampered by heavy metals' persistent nature and capacity for bioaccumulation, which upset natural equilibrium. An integrated plan combined with long-term monitoring programs, strict conservation measures, and innovative solutions should be developed to maintain or improve the carbon sequestering capacity within karst landscapes for a sustainable future. This holistic strategy is important for a complicated issue like heavy metal pollution in karst areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of low-sulfur marine fuel policy on air pollution in global coastal cities","authors":"Jia Shi ,&nbsp;Jihong Chen ,&nbsp;Zheng Wan ,&nbsp;Shaorui Zhou ,&nbsp;Ye Jun ,&nbsp;Yaqing Shu","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shipping emissions significantly contribute to the fallout of air pollutants in many coastal cities. Among these emissions, sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a major concern because it not only causes acid rain and photochemical smog that seriously damages human health but also damages sensitive ecosystems around the world. The United Nations and many local governments have established regulatory schemes to reduce SO₂ by setting global regulations and emission control areas (ECAs) that would require the use of much cleaner marine fuel with lower sulfur content or equivalent SO₂ scrubber devices. By combining remote sensing with spatial econometric models, we find that SO₂ decreases with implementation of regulations on sulfur limits varied across the study areas. The emission control areas in North America and China can reduce the average sulfur dioxide concentration in coastal cities by about 3–5 %, but in the Baltic and North Seas, ECAs did not show a significant impact at the spatial average level. While the overall spatially averaged SO₂ changes were relatively small, port cities and offshore waters with frequent shipping activities experienced significantly larger reductions, ranging from 10 % to 28 %. In addition, setting a general cap on sulfur content may be a better way to curb air pollution in coastal cities. The Mediterranean region and China experienced more notable reductions in SO₂ concentrations, namely 6.4 % and 3.8 %, respectively, following the adoption of the global regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards an Aporia? Empirical evidence on the relationship between consumer behaviour and metaverse-based virtual stores","authors":"Flavio Boccia,&nbsp;Nadia Palmieri","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recently, Metaverse technology has caught the attention of many businesses and consumers. However, there is no research on this topic in the food sector. Thus, it is crucial to understand the key drivers influencing consumers’ intention to purchase food through Metaverse technology. The present research leverages a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyse 710 Italian consumers. The results highlighted perceived technological and regulatory uncertainty and the feeling of cyber risk as significant obstacles to consumers’ intention to purchase food using Metaverse platforms. Conversely, several factors emerged as important facilitators, including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, perceived herd behaviour, hedonic motivation and consumer innovativeness. The study shows practical implications for businesses, practitioners and Metaverse developers in designing effective marketing strategies to promote the adoption of Metaverse commerce in the food sector. In fact, this research proposes a model that can be applied by stakeholders. Finally, this paper offers both actionable recommendations and theoretical insights.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100140"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating climate change: Impacts on indigenous practices concerning agrifood systems in Nepal's socio-ecological landscape","authors":"Hari Prasad Pandey ,&nbsp;Suman Aryal ,&nbsp;Bishnu Hari Poudyal ,&nbsp;Shreejana Bhusal ,&nbsp;Tek Narayan Maraseni","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change, its consequences, and related adaptation and mitigation strategies have been widely discussed in recent decades. However, the impacts of climate change on indigenous and local communities, their cultural adaptation practices, and the integrity of agrifood production systems have received limited attention. This study addresses this gap by examining the perspectives of forest-dependent local stakeholders (FDLS) in Nepal's lowland landscape. Using a participatory research approach, we analyzed empirical climatic data to assess the threats climate change poses to the cultural practices of indigenous and local peoples. We explored the adaptation strategies employed by these communities within the socio-ecological systems (SES) framework. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews (n = 136), focus group discussions (n = 9), and expert interviews (n = 27) across selected districts, complemented by secondary sources such as policy documents, district profiles, and climate reports. Our findings reveal significant climatic changes, including rising temperatures, earlier summers, shorter winters, unpredictable monsoons, increased droughts and wildfires, and water shortages. These changes have forced FDLS to adopt less water-intensive, drought-tolerant, insect-resistant, and hybrid crop varieties. However, these adaptation strategies often come with additional costs, labor, time, and technological demands, impacting livelihoods and contributing to cultural disintegration. Moreover, these changes have jeopardized food systems and eroded long-standing local traditions tied to sustainable livelihoods. This underscores the urgent need to strengthen ecosystem and community resilience to safeguard food security and the environment in the face of climate change. Our findings highlight site-specific impacts and adaptation strategies, the challenges to indigenous practices and cultural preservation, and policy pathways to address these issues.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100143"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two-Eyed Seeing and the Synoptic Transfer Framework: Braiding holistic and scientific ways of living in Education for Sustainable Development","authors":"Albert Zeyer ,&nbsp;Glen Aikenhead","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the integration of holistic knowledge systems with Western scientific perspectives through the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing (TES). By examining philosophical underpinnings of TES, particularly through the lens of Wilfrid Sellars' synoptic view, the paper highlights the potential for creating a more comprehensive understanding through the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing with epistemic insight. The Synoptic Transfer Framework (STF) as a Western educational variant of TES inspired by Sellars’ philosophy is introduced. TES, as conceptualized by Indigenous Elders, and the Western STF both advocate for a multi-perspective approach to the world, where the scientific and holistic images complement rather than compete with each other. The paper also addresses the chances and challenges of applying TES in educational contexts, particularly in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), identifying common pitfalls such as the naturalistic and the moralistic fallacy. Furthermore, it argues for the importance of educational frameworks that incorporate TES to foster culturally responsive and inclusive science curricula. The study underscores the relevance of TES and STF in addressing sustainability issues, emphasizing the sentient persons approach and the normative perspective in both. The braid metaphor is used to illustrate the continuous, dynamic interaction between perspectives rooted in factual evidence and societal values to ensure a sustainable future for humanity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100134"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioinspired cell silicification of the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and its effects on cell metabolism","authors":"Jiwei Chen ,&nbsp;Cheng Qian ,&nbsp;Yuexuan Shu ,&nbsp;Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani ,&nbsp;Jin Shang ,&nbsp;Hangjin Jiang ,&nbsp;Weiqi Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2024.100127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biosilicification enhances the mechanical strength and chemical stability of organisms. Diatoms are the natural model for studying cell silicification, with the model diatom <em>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</em> being known as the only species that could transition from slightly silicified cells to silicified cells under environmental stress. In this study, single-cell sequencing was employed to investigate the wild-type <em>P. tricornutum</em> strain (WT-Pt) without cell silicification and the engineered strain (SG-Pt) with silicified cells. Our results indicate that SG-Pt exhibits clearly cellular clustering and enhanced iron metabolic function compared to WT-Pt. We further utilize biomimetic techniques to explore the impact of artificial silicification on <em>P. tricornutum</em>. The silicified cells show enhanced resistance to freezing and UVC irradiation conditions. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated the up-regulation of photosynthesis with pigment accumulation in silicified cells. This work reveals key characteristics of diatoms under artificial biosilicification and provides critical insights into cell metabolism for promoting the development of hybrid living materials, which aligns with the United Nations sustainable development goal (SDG) 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by promoting sustainable biomaterials, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by enhancing carbon sequestration efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}