Endophytic Bacillus species as multifaceted toolbox for agriculture, environment, and medicine

Endophytic microbes, especially bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus, have received considerable attention worldwide. Different species of Bacillus have been documented for potential implications in agriculture, environment, and medicine. Endophytic Bacillus role has been well acknowledged in the alleviation of different non-biological stressors such as salinity, drought, high and low temperature, in addition to the presence of different heavy metals. The successful application of endophytic Bacillus would have profound role in enhancing the agricultural productivity despite of changing climatic conditions. The elucidation of detailed mechanisms of action responsible for offering tolerance to varied environmental factors could open new avenues in maximizing the application of endophytic bacilli not only as biofertilizers, but also as effective biocontrol agent towards sustainable agriculture. The plethora of researches has shown bioremediation potential of organic and inorganic contaminants by endophytic Bacillus. Moreover, endophytic Bacillus has been proven as important resources of valuable compounds and synthesis of metal nanoparticles holding antimicrobial activities with usefulness in the management of human diseases. Nevertheless, the full potential of endophytic Bacillus has yet to be achieved by extensive in vivo and in vitro experiments. The isolation and characterization of endophytes from newer hosts and habitat could offer more opportunities in the application of such microbial candidate for intended purposes.