Gulzar A. Rathar, 
Romica Verma, 
Bhavana Sharma

Transgenic plants that exhibit novel or superior phenotypes are engineered by either the overexpression or the inducing genes from other life forms, such as bacteria or mammals. Bacterial and mammalian degradative enzymes can therefore be utilized to supplement the metabolic capacity of plants because they are heterotrophs and have the enzymatic machinery required to enable complete mineralization of organic compounds. In order to clean up contaminated soils, sediments, and groundwater, plants and the bacteria that live on them are used in a process called phytoremediation. Over the past ten years, this technology has drawn more and more attention, in large part because of its aesthetic appeal. Various plant processes and mechanisms that are often used in the accumulation, complexation, volatilization, and degradation of organic and inorganic contaminants are used in phytoremediation. Hyperaccumulator plants are suitable candidates for phytoremediation, especially for the removal of heavy metals. With the aid of genetic engineering techniques, plant phytoremediation effectiveness can be significantly increased. New avenues for phytoremediation have been made possible by recent research findings, such as the overexpression of genes whose protein products are engaged in metal uptake, transport, and sequestration or function as enzymes in the breakdown of toxic organics. The discovery of transgenic plants with enhanced phytoremediation capacities and their prospective application in environmental cleanup are critically reviewed in this research.