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Engineering environmental bacteria for whole-cell PET hydrolysis and assimilation
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Scientists engineered a bacterium that can actually eat and break down PET plastic (the kind used in water bottles and food containers) as its food source, even surviving in real wastewater. This matters because PET pollution breaks down into microplastics that contaminate our water, food, and bodies—and this bacteria-based approach could offer a more practical way to clean up plastic waste that's otherwise hard to collect and recycle.
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is one of the most widely used plastics in food and textile applications, yet post-consumer PET waste persists and accumulates in the environment as macro- and microplastics with adverse health and ecological impacts. Although PET-hydrolysing enzymes have been extensively studied in vitro, whole-cell microbial systems capable of using PET as a growth substrate remain limited, particularly for difficult-to-collect waste. Here, we engineer an environmental bacterium to directly assimilate PET. A strain of Pseudomonas umsongensis capable of metabolising the PET monomer terephthalic acid was isolated and engineered to secrete the high-activity PET hydrolase polyester hydrolase Leipzig 7 via a recombinant twin-arginine translocation motif signal peptide. PET bioavailability was further enhanced through solvent-based pretreatment to generate an amorphous, macroporous substrate. The engineered strain demonstrated direct PET utilisation and hydrolysis, supporting self-sustaining microbial growth. Additionally, in non-sterile wastewater the strain survived and hydrolysed PET microplastics, highlighting its potential for bioremediation and sustainable upcycling applications.
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Scientists engineered a soil bacterium to break down PET plastic, one of the most common plastics in food packaging and textiles, by giving it the ability to produce and secrete a powerful plastic-degrading enzyme. This is one of the first demonstrations of a living microorganism that can directly consume PET as a food source, which could lead to more sustainable recycling approaches.
Isolation and Characterization of PET-Degrading Bacteria from Plastic Waste- Contaminated Soil in Western India
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Scientists found bacteria living in plastic-polluted soil in India that can actually break down PET plastic (the type used in water bottles and food packaging). This matters because PET plastic pollution is a major source of the microplastics now found in our food, water, and even our bodies — and these natural bacteria could eventually help clean up plastic waste before it breaks down into the tiny particles that pose health risks.
In Vitro Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate using Pseudomonas species
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Scientists found bacteria in wastewater sludge—naturally occurring, not lab-engineered—that can break down PET plastic (the type used in water bottles), with one strain called *Pseudomonas stutzeri* eating away nearly a third of a plastic sample's weight over two months. This matters because PET plastic breaks down into microplastics that pollute our environment and end up in our food and water, so finding natural microbes that can safely degrade it could lead to more eco-friendly ways to manage plastic waste. Interestingly, combining bacteria didn't work better than using one strain alone, showing that plastic-eating micro
Overcoming catalytic barriers to reprogram acyltransferases for bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate hydrolysis
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Scientists engineered a bacterial enzyme to break down plastic waste more efficiently, turning PET (the plastic in water bottles) into valuable, reusable chemical building blocks instead of just breaking it into low-value pieces. This matters because better plastic recycling technology could reduce the mountains of plastic waste that eventually break down into microplastics—tiny particles increasingly found in our water, food, and even our bodies, where researchers are still studying their potential health effects.
Ester bond pre-activation for high-efficiency biodegradation: A self-reinforcing degradation strategy for PET via an evolved bacterium
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Scientists evolved a special bacterium that can break down PET plastic (used in bottles and clothing) even in harsh, alkaline wastewater, the kind found in some industrial runoff, where normal plastic-eating microbes can't survive. This matters because it offers a gentler, more sustainable way to clean up plastic pollution at its source, potentially reducing the amount of PET and microplastics that end up contaminating water, soil, and eventually our food and bodies.
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