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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Enhanced degradation of microplastics by laccase under ambient conditions: Analysis of underlying molecular mechanisms
ClearCoupled Reactive Regulation by Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Sustains Reactive Oxygen Species Cycling in Laccase-Metal Synergy for Continuous Microplastic Degradation
Scientists developed a surface-based system combining a natural enzyme (laccase) with metal ions to generate reactive oxygen species that can break down common plastic polymers including polyethylene and PET. This enzyme-metal synergy offers a promising approach to degrading persistent microplastics in the environment using relatively low-energy, biologically inspired chemistry.
Microbial Degradation of (Micro)plastics: Mechanisms, Enhancements, and Future Directions
This review examines how microorganisms can break down microplastics using enzymes like PETase and laccases, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to other cleanup methods. While microbial degradation holds promise for reducing microplastic pollution and its associated health risks, current efficiency is too low for large-scale application and needs further improvement.
The Role and Application of Microbial Enzymes in Microplastics’ Bioremediation: Available and Future Perspectives
This chapter reviews how microbial enzymes — including PETases, laccases, and cutinases — can break down microplastic polymers in soil and aquatic environments, and how advances in metagenomics and enzyme engineering are accelerating discovery of new plastic-degrading candidates. While promising, the authors note that no enzyme-based solution is yet scalable enough to meaningfully reduce the microplastic burden already present in the environment.
Microplastics enhance laccase-driven bisphenol A removal in multipollutant wastewater
Researchers investigated whether polyethylene microplastics affect the ability of the enzyme laccase to remove bisphenol A from wastewater. PE microplastics enhanced laccase activity by 96%, with the plastic surface enabling greater enzyme-substrate contact and improved BPA adsorption, suggesting microplastics could inadvertently improve some enzymatic treatment processes.
Highly efficient low-temperature biodegradation of polyethylene microplastics by using cold-active laccase cell-surface display system
Researchers developed a cold-active laccase cell-surface display system in E. coli that achieved highly efficient low-temperature biodegradation of polyethylene microplastics, overcoming a key limitation of enzymatic plastic breakdown in cold environments.
Microbial Enzymes Used in Bioremediation
This review covers microbial enzymes that can break down environmental pollutants, including some types of plastic polymers. Enzymes like laccases, hydrolases, and lipases show promise for degrading plastics and other harmful substances in the environment. While not focused solely on microplastics, the research suggests that enzyme-based bioremediation could eventually help reduce microplastic pollution in soil and water.
Environmental impact and mitigation of micro(nano)plastics pollution using green catalytic tools and green analytical methods
Researchers reviewed the growing problem of microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment, then assessed enzyme-based strategies for breaking them down, finding that enzymes specifically targeting plastic polymer structures offer a promising, sustainable approach to degradation, especially when stabilized on nanomaterials to extend their activity.
Role of Various Microbes and Their Enzymatic Mechanisms for Biodegradation of Microplastics
This review examines the microbial enzymes and degradation mechanisms responsible for biodegrading microplastic polymers, covering bacterial, fungal, and algal systems that have evolved plastic-degrading capabilities over the past 150 years of plastic production. The authors survey the most promising enzymatic pathways and organisms for biotechnological application in microplastic remediation.
Biodegradation of macro- and micro-plastics in environment: A review on mechanism, toxicity, and future perspectives.
This review examined mechanisms, toxicology, and future perspectives for biodegradation of macro- and micro-plastics, cataloguing microbial species capable of polymer degradation, discussing enzymatic pathways, and identifying key limitations including slow degradation rates and the need for pretreatment to accelerate breakdown in environmental settings.
Frontiers in plastic biodegradation: unraveling the mechanisms and impacts of macro- and microplastic pollution
This review examined current approaches to breaking down plastic pollution using microorganisms and enzymes, covering common plastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene. Researchers highlighted several promising biological degradation pathways, including enzymes like PETase and laccase produced by bacteria and fungi. The study suggests that combining genetic engineering of plastic-degrading organisms with circular economy strategies could help address the growing global plastic pollution crisis.
Harnessing Microorganisms for Microplastic Degradation: A Sustainable Approach to Mitigating Environmental Pollution
This review surveys microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and other taxa—capable of degrading microplastics, examining the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions involved, and assessing the practical potential of harnessing these organisms for bioremediation of plastic pollution.
Surface adhesion and multienzyme pathways drive low-density polyethylene microplastic biodegradation by soil bacteria
Researchers identified two soil bacteria — Rhodococcus koreensis MFB1 and Gordonia hongkongensis MFB5 — capable of degrading low-density polyethylene microplastics by 13.3% and 12.2% weight reduction over 30 days, with laccase activity, surface hydrophobicity, and multienzyme pathways including alkane monooxygenases and beta-oxidation enzymes driving the degradation.
A concept for the biotechnological minimizing of emerging plastics, micro- and nano-plastics pollutants from the environment: A review.
This review examined biotechnological strategies for remediating plastics, micro-, and nano-plastics from the environment, cataloguing microbial and enzymatic degradation approaches, discussing their mechanistic basis, and proposing an integrated biotechnology framework for minimizing plastic pollution across terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Biodegradation of Microplastic: A Sustainable Approach
This review examines biological approaches to microplastic degradation, covering microorganisms and enzymes capable of breaking down common plastic polymers such as PET and polyethylene. Biodegradation could offer a sustainable path to reducing microplastic accumulation in soil, water, and marine environments.
Improving efficiency of bacterial degradation of polyethylene microplastics using atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutagenesis
Researchers used a genetic mutation technique called ARTP to enhance a bacterium's ability to break down polyethylene microplastics, achieving up to 53.65% greater degradation efficiency. After 50 days, the modified bacterium significantly reduced the molecular weight and altered the structure of the plastic particles. Gene analysis revealed that increased expression of laccase enzymes likely drove the improved plastic-degrading performance.
Removal of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics from water with reactive oxygen species generated by electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes
Researchers compared electrochemical and photoelectrochemical methods for breaking down PET microplastics in water using reactive oxygen species. Both approaches achieved similar weight loss of the plastics, around 10-16%, confirming that reactive oxygen species play a central role in degradation. The photoelectrochemical process proved far more energy-efficient, consuming roughly 100 times less electricity per kilogram of microplastic removed.
Enhancement of environmental microplastics (MPs) degradation via bacteria under stress conditions: key enzymes, pathways, and mechanisms
This review focuses on bacterial, enzymatic, and insect-mediated strategies for microplastic biodegradation, evaluating the effectiveness of multi-organism approaches that combine different degrading agents to enhance the breakdown rate of persistent plastic polymers in the environment.
Biodegradation of microplastics: Advancement in the strategic approaches towards prevention of its accumulation and harmful effects
This review assessed advances in strategic approaches to microplastic biodegradation, covering microbial enzymes, biofilm-mediated degradation, and conditions that enhance breakdown rates, with the goal of identifying practical paths to reducing environmental microplastic accumulation.
Breakthrough in polyurethane bio-recycling: An efficient laccase-mediated system for the degradation of different types of polyurethanes
A laccase-mediated enzymatic system efficiently degraded multiple types of polyurethane plastics in aqueous solution at mild conditions, breaking polymer chains and reducing molecular weight within days, offering a green biotechnology approach to managing polyurethane waste that conventional recycling and chemical degradation struggle to address.
Application of laccase produced by marineactinomycetes in accelerating the rate of biodegradation of polyethylene
This study examined the use of laccase enzymes produced by marine actinomycetes to accelerate the biodegradation of polyethylene, finding that enzymatic treatment enhanced plastic breakdown and offers a potential bioremediation strategy for plastic waste.
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.
Microplastic degradation methods and corresponding degradation mechanism: Research status and future perspectives
This review summarizes current methods for degrading microplastics, including advanced oxidation processes, biodegradation, and thermal treatments, along with their underlying mechanisms. The study highlights that while several approaches show promise in laboratory settings, challenges remain in scaling these technologies for real-world environmental remediation of microplastic pollution.
Biodegradation of Plastic and the Role of Microbial Enzymes in Plastic Waste Management
This review examines how microbial enzymes, particularly PET hydrolases and oxidative enzymes, can depolymerize and break down common plastic polymers through biological degradation. The study suggests that enzymatic approaches to plastic waste management offer a promising complement to mechanical and chemical recycling, though optimizing enzyme activity and scaling up the process remain key challenges.
Microbial Degradation of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A New Frontier in Environmental Bioremediation
This review examines microbial degradation of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, covering bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes capable of colonizing plastic surfaces, forming biofilms, and secreting enzymes to degrade polymers including polyethylene and PET.