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Sensitive and specific capture of polystyrene and polypropylene microplastics using engineered peptide biosensors
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Hydrophobic peptide biosensors engineered to bind polystyrene and polypropylene surfaces were demonstrated as a rapid detection method for microplastics, offering high specificity for two of the most commonly distributed plastic polymer types in marine environments.
Owing to increased environmental pollution, active research regarding microplastics circulating in the ocean has attracted significant interest in recent times. Microplastics accumulate in the bodies of living organisms and adversely affect them. In this study, a new method for the rapid detection of microplastics using peptides was proposed. Among the various types of plastics distributed in the ocean, polystyrene and polypropylene were selected. The binding affinity of the hydrophobic peptides suitable for each type of plastic was evaluated. The binding affinities of peptides were confirmed in unoxidized plastics and plasma-oxidized plastics in deionised or 3.5% saline water. Also, the detection of microplastics in small animals' intestine extracts were possible with the reported peptide biosensors. We expect plastic-binding peptides to be used in sensors to increase the detection efficiency of microplastics and potentially help separate microplastics from seawater.
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This review explores the emerging use of specially designed peptides that can bind to specific types of plastic for detecting microplastics in water. Researchers describe how advances in protein engineering and computational design have enabled the creation of peptides that selectively recognize different polymer surfaces. The peptide-based approach offers a promising new detection method that could complement existing techniques for monitoring microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Microplastic Sensors Based on Tilted Fiber Bragg Grating and Engineered Peptides
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This paper presents a fiber optic sensor modified with a polystyrene-binding peptide for detecting microplastics in water. Peptide-based biosensors offer a highly selective approach for detecting specific types of microplastics, potentially enabling real-time water quality monitoring.
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Researchers developed a low-cost, sustainable detection system using polymer-specific, high-affinity binding peptides for identifying and sorting microplastics by polymer type in mixed heterogeneous samples. The approach leverages peptide-based molecular recognition as an alternative to expensive spectroscopic methods, aiming to improve microplastic detection and facilitate recycling processes by enabling polymer-type discrimination in complex waste streams.
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Researchers developed polymer-specific, high-affinity binding peptides capable of selectively identifying microplastic types in mixed environmental samples, aiming to create a rapid and cost-effective alternative to conventional spectroscopic identification methods. The approach leverages peptide-surface interactions to discriminate between different plastic polymers, addressing the challenge of accurately detecting microplastics released through plastic degradation and industrial processing.
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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.