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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Hydrolase and plastic-degrading microbiota explain degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics during high-temperature composting
ClearComposting-based degradation of poly (ethylene terephthalate) microplastics and its enhancement with exogenous PET hydrolase supplementation
Researchers tested whether PET microplastic degradation could be enhanced during high-temperature composting by adding exogenous thermophilic PET hydrolase enzyme, finding that after 20 days, PET weight was reduced by 21.1% without enzyme and 32.8% with enzyme addition. Enzyme-enhanced composting offers a promising approach for degrading PET microplastics in solid waste treatment.
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.
Enzymatic Degradation of PET plastic
This study tested commercial-grade enzymes for degrading PET plastic and found that enzymatic degradation was effective at laboratory scale but faced challenges for real-world application. Scaling up enzymatic PET recycling could reduce the persistence of plastic waste that eventually fragments into microplastics in the environment.
A review on microbial bioremediation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics
This review focuses on microbial biodegradation of PET microplastics — the plastic used in bottles and synthetic textiles — detailing the specific enzymes (PETase and MHETase) that bacteria use to break the polymer down into its chemical building blocks. Biological degradation offers a lower-energy, more environmentally gentle alternative to chemical recycling or landfill, and understanding the microbial mechanisms involved is key to developing scalable bioremediation solutions for one of the most pervasive microplastic types.
Enzymatic remediation of polyester microfibers in sewage sludge and green compost samples
Researchers tested a heat-tolerant enzyme (LCC ICCG cutinase) on PET plastic microfibers in sewage sludge and compost, successfully breaking down up to 16.6 mg of PET per cubic centimeter within 24 hours — demonstrating that enzyme-based bioremediation could help remove microplastics from agricultural biofertilizers before they contaminate soil.
Current Knowledge on Polyethylene Terephthalate Degradation by Genetically Modified Microorganisms
This review covers genetically modified microorganisms engineered to degrade polyethylene terephthalate, examining how bioengineering of enzymes such as PETase and enhanced expression systems can overcome the low biodegradation rates of wild-type microorganisms toward this ubiquitous plastic.
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.
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.
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.
Biochar immobilized hydrolase degrades PET microplastics and alleviates the disturbance of soil microbial function via modulating nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
Researchers developed a new tool using biochar combined with a plastic-eating enzyme to break down PET microplastics in soil. The approach achieved nearly 30% weight loss of PET particles and helped restore healthy nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the soil by shifting microbial communities, offering a promising strategy for addressing microplastic contamination in agricultural land.
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.
Microbial Consortia and Mixed Plastic Waste: Pangenomic Analysis Reveals Potential for Degradation of Multiple Plastic Types via Previously Identified PET Degrading Bacteria
Researchers used pangenomic and transcriptomic analysis of a five-bacterium PET-degrading consortium to identify over 200 plastic and plasticizer degradation-related genes, including a novel PETase enzyme EstB. The diverse carbon utilization capacity and active transcription of PET monomer metabolism genes suggest the consortium has potential for degrading mixed plastic waste.
Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics by bacterial communities from activated sludge
Bacterial communities from activated sludge were shown to grow on PET microplastics as a sole carbon source and achieved measurable biodegradation of heat-pretreated PET fragments in a standardized CO₂ evolution test, identifying activated sludge as a source of PET-degrading microbes.
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.
Microbes in Plastic Degradation
This review examines how microorganisms can break down common plastics like polyethylene and PET through enzymatic processes. Researchers summarized the key bacterial and fungal species capable of degrading plastics and the conditions that affect degradation rates. The study highlights that while microbial plastic degradation is promising, natural breakdown is slow and more research is needed to make biological solutions practical at scale.
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.
Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolases in Human Gut Microbiota and Their Implications for Human Health
Researchers searched the genomes of healthy human gut bacteria and discovered enzymes capable of breaking down PET, one of the most common plastics found in food and drink packaging. They identified multiple bacterial species in the human gut that produce these PET-degrading enzymes. This discovery suggests that gut microbes may play a role in processing the microplastics people swallow, though it also raises questions about whether the breakdown products could affect human health.
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.
Microbial enzymes for the recycling of recalcitrant petroleum‐based plastics: how far are we?
This review examines the progress in identifying microbial enzymes capable of breaking down petroleum-based plastics like polyethylene, polystyrene, polyurethane, and PET. Researchers highlight recent advances in using polyester-degrading enzymes to recover raw materials from PET waste through biocatalytic recycling. The study discusses the potential and remaining challenges of using biological approaches to address the growing global problem of plastic waste accumulation.
Plastic biodegradation: Frontline microbes and their enzymes
Researchers reviewed microbial biodegradation of synthetic plastics — including PE, PP, PS, and PET — cataloguing the insects, bacteria, and fungi capable of breaking down these polymers along with the enzymatic mechanisms involved, and outlining paths forward including metabolic pathway engineering and molecular cloning to improve degradation rates.
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.
Microbial Consortia and Mixed Plastic Waste: Pangenomic Analysis Reveals Potential for Degradation of Multiple Plastic Types via Previously Identified PET Degrading Bacteria
Researchers used pangenomic and transcriptomic analysis of a previously identified five-member bacterial consortium capable of degrading PET to search for broader plastic degradation potential. The analysis revealed over 200 plastic and plasticizer degradation-related genes, including a novel PETase (EstB), suggesting the consortium can potentially degrade multiple plastic types beyond PET.
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.