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Engineering microbial division of labor for plastic upcycling
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Scientists engineered a team of two specialized bacteria that work together to break down PET plastic waste and convert it into useful chemicals. This microbial partnership outperformed single-bacteria approaches, especially when dealing with high concentrations of plastic waste. The research demonstrates a promising biological method for recycling plastic pollution into valuable materials rather than letting it accumulate in the environment.
Plastic pollution is rapidly increasing worldwide, causing adverse impacts on the environment, wildlife and human health. One tempting solution to this crisis is upcycling plastics into products with engineered microorganisms; however, this remains challenging due to complexity in conversion. Here we present a synthetic microbial consortium that efficiently degrades polyethylene terephthalate hydrolysate and subsequently produces desired chemicals through division of labor. The consortium involves two Pseudomonas putida strains, specializing in terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol utilization respectively, to achieve complete substrate assimilation. Compared with its monoculture counterpart, the consortium exhibits reduced catabolic crosstalk and faster deconstruction, particularly when substrate concentrations are high or crude hydrolysate is used. It also outperforms monoculture when polyhydroxyalkanoates serves as a target product and confers flexible tuning through population modulation for cis-cis muconate synthesis. This work demonstrates engineered consortia as a promising, effective platform that may facilitate polymer upcycling and environmental sustainability.
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Engineering a Cross-Feeding Synthetic Bacterial Consortium for Degrading Mixed PET and Nylon Monomers
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Researchers engineered a team of two bacterial species that work together to break down monomers from both PET and nylon plastics, two of the most common types found in mixed plastic waste. The bacteria developed a cooperative feeding relationship where each species handles different plastic components and helps neutralize toxic byproducts. While still at the laboratory stage, this synthetic biology approach could eventually help break down mixed plastic waste before it degrades into microplastics in the environment.
Two-step conversion of polyethylene into recombinant proteins using a microbial platform
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Researchers engineered bacteria to break down polyethylene plastic — one of the most common types of plastic pollution — and convert it into useful proteins, demonstrating a promising biological pathway for upcycling plastic waste into valuable materials.
Synergistic functional activity of a landfill microbial consortium in a microplastic-enriched environment
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Scientists studied soil bacteria from a decades-old landfill to understand how microbes adapt to high concentrations of polyethylene and PET microplastics. They found that multiple bacterial species work together to break down these plastics, with different roles for bacteria floating freely versus those attached to plastic surfaces. While biodegradation of microplastics is possible, it is slow, and understanding these natural processes could eventually help with cleanup efforts.
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.
Catalytic Amounts of an Antibacterial Monomer Enable the Upcycling of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Waste
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Scientists developed a new method to recycle PET plastic waste (commonly used in bottles) into high-value antibacterial material using only small amounts of a special monomer. This approach addresses both plastic pollution and the need for antimicrobial materials, while avoiding the biotoxicity problems of traditional metal-based antibacterial agents. The technique represents a promising way to upcycle plastic waste rather than simply discarding it.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.