Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Microbial degradation of polyethylene terephthalate: a systematic review

This systematic review examines how microorganisms like bacteria and fungi can break down PET plastic, one of the most common types of plastic waste. The research identifies several promising biological approaches that could help reduce plastic pollution without the harmful side effects of chemical recycling methods. Finding better ways to break down plastic waste is critical for reducing the microplastics that end up in our water, food, and bodies.

2022 SN Applied Sciences 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrolytic Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate by Cutinase Enzyme Derived from Fungal Biomass–Molecular Characterization

Researchers isolated cutinase and lipase enzymes from Aspergillus tamarii and Penicillium crustosum fungi and demonstrated their ability to catalyze hydrolytic degradation of PET plastic, offering a potential biological route for plastic waste breakdown.

2021 Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-Microbiology: Discovering Biochemical Enhancers of PET Biodegradation by Piscinibacter sakaiensis

This paper reviews biochemical strategies for enhancing PET biodegradation by microorganisms, focusing on the discovery and engineering of plastic-degrading enzymes. The review highlights recent advances and remaining challenges in scaling up enzymatic plastic degradation for industrial applications.

2024
Article Tier 2

Fungal Enzymes as Catalytic Tools for Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Degradation

This review examines the potential of fungal enzymes, including esterases, lipases, and cutinases, to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste. Researchers surveyed the literature on how these biocatalysts work and their effectiveness compared to more widely studied bacterial enzymes. The study suggests that fungal enzymes offer a promising and underexplored avenue for developing eco-friendly PET degradation technologies.

2021 Journal of Fungi 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Discovery of a polyvinyl alcohol-degrading strain of the ascomycete Fusarium oxysporum and optimizing of its degradation performance of PVA

Researchers isolated a strain of the ascomycete fungus Fusarium oxysporum from degraded plastic and demonstrated its capacity to degrade polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), optimizing degradation conditions to improve efficiency and offering a potential eco-friendly biotechnology approach to plastic waste treatment.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Insights into the Transcriptomic Response of Two Aspergillus Fungi Growing in the Presence of Microplastics of Polyethylene Terephthalate Residues Unveil the Presence of Fungal Machinery for Possible PET Bioconversion into High-Value Chemicals

Scientists discovered that two types of common fungi can break down plastic particles (specifically PET plastic used in bottles) and potentially turn them into useful chemicals. The fungi produced special enzymes that could eat away small amounts of the plastic over two weeks, suggesting these microorganisms might one day help clean up plastic pollution in our environment. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our food and water, so finding natural ways to break them down could help reduce our exposure to these tiny plastic particles.

2026 Environments
Article Tier 2

An archaeal lid-containing feruloyl-esterase degrades polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

This study identified the first archaeal enzyme capable of degrading PET plastic, characterizing its structure and biochemical properties. Expanding the diversity of organisms with PET-degrading enzymes could accelerate the development of biological strategies for breaking down the microplastics contaminating marine and terrestrial environments.

2023
Article Tier 2

Process development for PETase production and purification

Researchers developed a production and purification process for PETase, an enzyme capable of breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic biologically, as an alternative to inadequate mechanical and chemical recycling methods for mixed and contaminated PET waste. The study addresses the global plastic pollution crisis by advancing the scalability of enzymatic PET degradation as a sustainable recycling pathway.

2024
Article Tier 2

Sustainable solution for microplastic removal: Sequential biodegradation and detoxification of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics by two natural microbial consortia

Researchers developed a two-stage approach using natural microbial communities to break down PET microplastics and neutralize their toxic byproducts. The first bacterial-fungal group achieved 28% degradation over 60 days, while a second group of bacteria further processed the breakdown products, reducing their toxicity. The study demonstrates that sequential microbial treatment could be a practical, eco-friendly strategy for addressing PET microplastic pollution.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Degradation of Plastics and Approaches to Make it More Efficient

This review examines microbial degradation of plastics by bacteria and fungi, focusing on polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET, and discusses methods to make biodegradation more efficient as a potential solution to plastic pollution.

2021 Microbiology 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Microplastics by Baceterial Communities From Activated Sludge

Scientists isolated bacteria from wastewater treatment sludge that can biodegrade PET plastic, used in plastic bottles and food packaging. The bacteria broke down PET microplastics over a 60-day period, pointing toward a potential biological tool for removing plastic contamination from water treatment systems.

2021
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Microplastics by Baceterial Communities From Activated Sludge

Scientists isolated bacteria from wastewater treatment sludge that can biodegrade PET plastic, used in plastic bottles and food packaging. The bacteria broke down PET microplastics over a 60-day period, pointing toward a potential biological tool for removing plastic contamination from water treatment systems.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial degradation of plastics in the environment: Mechanisms, enzymatic pathways, and constraints from laboratory studies to environmental reality

Researchers reviewed microbial and insect-mediated plastic biodegradation, finding that while a wide range of bacteria and fungi can degrade common polymers and PETase enzymes have been substantially improved through protein engineering, degradation rates measured in optimized laboratory settings likely overestimate real-world performance under natural constraints like low temperature and nutrient limitation.

2026 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Caracterización del aislado fúngico 2 (C2) capaz de utilizar polímeros celulósicos y plásticos como fuente de carbono

Researchers characterized a fungal isolate (C2) from a consortium capable of growing on cellulosic polymers and plastics including PET, investigating its potential for plastic biodegradation via enzymatic mechanisms. The study advances understanding of how specific fungal strains can utilize synthetic polymers as carbon sources for ecologically sustainable plastic degradation.

2025 JÓVENES EN LA CIENCIA
Article Tier 2

Eco-microbiology: discovering biochemical enhancers of PET biodegradation by Piscinibacter sakaiensis

Researchers are working to accelerate the biodegradation of PET plastic by Piscinibacter sakaiensis, a bacterium that naturally evolved to consume this common type of plastic. Using bioactivity screens and degradation tests, they identified a small number of biochemical conditions that more than doubled the PET biodegradation rate. The work provides a foundation for developing a fermentation process that could help address PET plastic pollution at scale.

2025 Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of metabolic markers in plastic biodegradation by native Fusarium species

Researchers investigated the biodegradation potential of two native Fusarium fungal strains on low-density polyethylene plastic, identifying metabolic markers and enzymatic pathways involved in LDPE degradation to better understand the mechanisms underlying fungal plastic biodegradation.

2025 Universidad Industrial de Santander
Article Tier 2

Enhancing PET Degrading Enzymes: A Combinatory Approach

Scientists worked on improving enzymes that can break down PET plastic, one of the most common plastics in consumer products. Using a combinatory approach, researchers enhanced the performance of a naturally occurring PET-degrading enzyme from the bacterium Piscinibacter sakaiensis. The study suggests that engineered enzymes could eventually help create a circular economy for plastic waste by enabling efficient recycling at the molecular level.

2024 ChemBioChem 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Fungal potential for the degradation of petroleum-based polymers: An overview of macro- and microplastics biodegradation

This review examines the potential of fungi to break down petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their unique ability to produce enzymes capable of degrading complex polymers. Researchers found that certain fungal species can use plastic materials as their sole carbon and energy source, offering a promising biological approach to plastic waste remediation. The study calls for further research on novel fungal isolates and molecular techniques to enhance plastic biodegradation processes.

2019 Biotechnology Advances 442 citations
Article Tier 2

Message in a Bottle: the Expression and Confirmation of ISF6_4831, a Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolase

This study investigated a bacterial enzyme that can degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles, one of the top sources of plastic waste globally. The research confirms that biological degradation of PET is feasible and points toward potential biotechnological approaches for breaking down plastic waste.

2018 Digital Commons - Winthrop University (Winthrop University)
Article Tier 2

Exploring the infiltrative and degradative ability of Fusarium oxysporum on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using correlative microscopy and deep learning

Researchers used advanced 3D X-ray microscopy combined with deep learning to visualize how the fungus Fusarium oxysporum physically penetrates and begins breaking down PET plastic, finding it preferentially attacks edges and corners where it can enter through cracks. This detailed imaging approach reveals fungal-plastic interactions that were previously impossible to observe, offering insights for developing biological plastic degradation methods.

2023 Scientific Reports 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient biodegradation of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic by Gordonia sp. CN2K isolated from plastic contaminated environment

Researchers isolated a bacterium called Gordonia sp. CN2K from a waste management site that can break down PET plastic, one of the most widely used and persistent types of plastic. Over 45 days, the bacterium degraded over 40% of PET microplastic by using it as its sole carbon and energy source. The findings suggest that naturally occurring microorganisms could be harnessed to help address the growing problem of microplastic pollution in the environment.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 38 citations
Article Tier 2

In vivo degradation of polyethylene terephthalate using microbial isolates from plastic polluted environment.

Researchers isolated four microbial strains from plastic waste dumping sites and tested their ability to degrade polyethylene terephthalate in vivo, finding measurable weight loss and surface modification of PET films over 30 days, with Aspergillus species demonstrating the highest degradation efficiency.

2023 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Enhanced degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics by an engineered Stenotrophomonas pavanii in the presence of biofilm

Scientists engineered a biofilm-forming bacterium to break down PET microplastics (the type found in water bottles and food containers) at room temperature. The engineered bacteria achieved significant PET degradation over 30 days and also worked on other polyester plastics, offering a potential biological solution for cleaning up microplastic pollution in water environments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Examining and identifying bacteria-mediated polyethylene terephthalate bottle waste degradation Byprops

Researchers isolated Bacillus subtilis from PET plastic waste dump sites and demonstrated that the bacterium can degrade polyethylene terephthalate microplastics over six months, with UV-pretreated PET showing the most pronounced changes including new alkyl aryl ether and alkene groups detected by FTIR and GC-MS. The findings suggest soil bacteria could offer a biodegradable solution for eliminating PET from plastic-contaminated sites.

2025 International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences