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Standardization guidelines and future trends for PET hydrolase research

Figshare 2025 26 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Ren Wei, Peter Westh, Gert Weber, Lars M. Blank, Uwe T. Bornscheuer

Summary

This perspective identifies critical inconsistencies in how PET-degrading enzymes are evaluated across research labs, proposing standardized guidelines for substrate preparation and reaction conditions to improve reproducibility and accelerate the development of scalable enzymatic plastic recycling.

Polymers

Enzymatic depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) towards monomer recycling offers a green route to a circular plastic economy, with scale-up currently underway. Yet, inconsistent assessment methods hinder clear comparisons between various PET hydrolases. This Perspective aims to identify critical gaps in this dynamic research field and outline key principles for selecting and tailoring novel enzymes, such as using uniform PET samples and standardizing reaction settings that mimic industrial conditions. Applying these guidelines will improve enzyme screening efficiency, increase data reproducibility, deepen the understanding of interfacial biocatalysis, and ultimately accelerate the development of more robust and cost-effective bio-based PET recycling methods.

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