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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Eco-microbiology: discovering biochemical enhancers of PET biodegradation by Piscinibacter sakaiensis
ClearEco-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.
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.
Towards synthetic PETtrophy: Engineering Pseudomonas putida for concurrent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monomer metabolism and PET hydrolase expression
Researchers engineered a soil bacterium to simultaneously break down PET plastic and use its building-block chemicals as food, identifying key bottlenecks in balancing enzyme production with bacterial fitness that will need to be resolved before such microbes can be used for large-scale plastic biodegradation.
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.
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.
Degradation of PET plastic with engineered environmental bacteria
Scientists engineered a soil bacterium to break down PET plastic, one of the most common plastics in food packaging and textiles, by giving it the ability to produce and secrete a powerful plastic-degrading enzyme. This is one of the first demonstrations of a living microorganism that can directly consume PET as a food source, which could lead to more sustainable recycling approaches.
Targeted aggregation of PETase towards surface of Stenotrophomonas pavanii for degradation of PET microplastics
Researchers developed a strategy to target PETase enzyme to the surface of Stenotrophomonas pavanii bacteria, improving the efficiency of in-situ PET microplastic degradation. Surface-displayed PETase showed significantly enhanced PET hydrolysis compared to free enzyme, offering a practical approach to microbial degradation of dispersed PET microplastics in environmental settings.
Modulating biofilm can potentiate activity of novel plastic-degrading enzymes
Researchers discovered two new enzymes capable of breaking down PET plastic (the kind used in plastic bottles) and found that boosting a bacterium's ability to form a biofilm — a sticky coating that helps bacteria cling to surfaces — significantly increased how fast the enzymes could degrade plastic. This biofilm strategy could help accelerate the development of biological plastic-recycling systems for waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.
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.
Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics by Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans PETKKU2: Response surface optimization and genomic evidence for an alternative degradation mechanism
This study identified a soil bacterium, Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans PETKKU2, isolated from a Thai landfill, as capable of degrading PET microplastics and achieving nearly 10% weight loss over 35 days under optimized conditions — through a degradation pathway distinct from the well-known PETase enzyme route. Surface analysis confirmed progressive erosion and chemical changes in the plastic. Discovering new microbial pathways for PET degradation is important for developing biological recycling and remediation strategies for one of the world's most common plastic pollutants.
Marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria breakdown poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)
Scientists used microcosm studies to investigate whether marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria can break down PET plastic, finding that specific bacterial strains could colonize and degrade PET surfaces, offering insights into natural plastic biodegradation in the ocean.
Biodegradation of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) by Bacillus safensis YX8
Researchers isolated a PET-degrading bacterial strain, Bacillus safensis YX8, from the surface of plastic waste and demonstrated its ability to break down PET nanoparticles. The study identified the degradation products as terephthalic acid and related compounds, suggesting this bacterium could contribute to environmentally friendly approaches for managing PET plastic waste.
A multi-OMIC characterisation of biodegradation and microbial community succession within the PET plastisphere
Researchers performed a multi-omic analysis of bacterial communities colonizing PET plastic in marine environments, identifying microorganisms capable of degrading PET and characterizing the enzymatic pathways involved, advancing understanding of natural plastic biodegradation in ocean systems.
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.
Degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics by wastewater bacteria engineered via conjugation
Scientists engineered wastewater bacteria to break down PET plastic, one of the most common microplastic types, by transferring plastic-degrading genes through a natural DNA-sharing process. The modified bacteria could partially degrade a consumer PET product in 5 to 7 days. This proof-of-concept approach could help reduce the amount of microplastics released from wastewater treatment plants into the environment.
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.
A novel Bacillus subtilis BPM12 with high bis(2 hydroxyethyl)terephthalate hydrolytic activity efficiently interacts with virgin and mechanically recycled polyethylene terephthalate
Researchers discovered a soil bacterium, Bacillus subtilis BPM12, that can break down PET plastic building blocks at impressively high rates and across a wide range of temperatures and pH levels. The study shows that combining mechanical shredding with biological degradation by this microbe could be a practical route to recycling more PET plastic waste, a major source of environmental microplastics, back into useful chemicals.
Breakdown of polyethylene therepthalate microplastics under saltwater conditions using engineered Vibrio natriegens
Scientists engineered a marine bacterium, Vibrio natriegens, to break down PET plastic into its basic chemical building blocks in saltwater conditions at moderate temperatures. The engineered bacteria display enzymes on their cell surface that can depolymerize PET without needing any pretreatment of the plastic. This biological approach could eventually help address ocean microplastic pollution, though significant work remains to scale the technology from the laboratory to real-world applications.
Bioprospecting for polyesterase activity relevant for PET degradation in marine Enterobacterales isolates
Researchers screened marine Enterobacterales isolates for polyesterase activity capable of degrading PET plastic, identifying bacterial strains from marine environments as candidates for bioremediation strategies targeting one of the world's most problematic plastic pollutants.
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.
Biodegradation of PET by the membrane-anchored PET esterase from the marine bacterium Rhodococcus pyridinivorans P23
Researchers identified a membrane-anchored enzyme from the marine bacterium Rhodococcus pyridinivorans that can break down PET plastic. The enzyme, displayed on the cell's surface, not only depolymerizes PET but also hydrolyzes its breakdown products under acidic conditions. The study provides new insight into how marine microorganisms naturally biodegrade plastic pollution, which could inform future bioremediation strategies.
Biodegradation of Microplastic Derived from Poly(ethylene terephthalate) with Bacterial Whole-Cell Biocatalysts
Engineered bacterial whole-cell biocatalysts were used to biodegrade PET microplastics under alkaline conditions, with the strain using PET as a sole carbon source and producing monomers that did not accumulate due to continuous cellular metabolism. The study demonstrates a combined enzymatic-microbial approach that overcomes product inhibition in enzymatic PET degradation.
Degradation of PET Plastics by Wastewater Bacteria Engineered via Conjugation
Researchers demonstrated a proof-of-concept approach for reducing PET microplastic pollution in wastewater by engineering bacteria in situ via conjugation to express PET-degrading enzymes. The study used a broad-host-range conjugative plasmid to transfer PET hydrolase genes into native wastewater bacterial communities.
Improvement of biodegradation of PET microplastics with whole-cell biocatalyst by interface activation reinforcement
Researchers developed a whole-cell biocatalysis strategy using alkali-resistant bacteria combined with surfactant-mediated interfacial activation to improve the biodegradation of PET microplastics, finding that Tween 20 most effectively enhanced the bio-interfacial activity between bacterial enzymes and the hydrophobic PET surface, leading to improved hydrolysis rates.