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Engineering Plastic Degrading Algae
Summary
Scientists genetically modified algae to produce enzymes that can break down PET plastic (the type used in water bottles), which normally takes hundreds of years to decompose and often ends up as microplastics in our environment, food, and bodies. While only one modified algae sample survived testing, this early proof-of-concept suggests engineered algae could one day offer a cheaper, more eco-friendly way to break down plastic waste before it fragments into the microplastics linked to health concerns. More research is needed to confirm this approach actually works at scale.
Single use plastics have become extremely prevalent, and when discarded, they take an extremely long time to break down naturally, causing them to build up in the environment. One of the most common single use plastics is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which can be broken down faster by the PETase and MHETase enzymes. One promising method to accelerate the breakdown of PET pollution is engineering algae that create MHETase and PETase. To produce this algae, Chlorella vulgaris was exposed to agrobacteria with a gene coding for MHETase and PETase as well as hygromycin resistance on its plasmid. The algae was then cultured in BG-11 media with hygromycin, first on solid media then in liquid, to select for algae that took in the desired DNA. Surviving clones were tested using PCR on the experimental gene and the 23S gene coding for ribosomes and gel electrophoresis to ensure that the DNA was transferred successfully. Clones containing the gene for MHETase and PETase were then tested on plastic degrading ability and protein expression. The algae grew well on the solid hygromycin plate, but only one of 48 selected clones survived the second round of screening. The one successful clone had a positive result after PCR and gel electrophoresis for the MHETase PETase gene. Wild-type Chlorella vulgaris did not measurably degrade plastic, so any plastic degradation for the experimental algae would be an improvement. If successful, this modified algae could provide a more sustainable method for increasing the rate PET breaks down at.