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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Catalytic Amounts of an Antibacterial Monomer Enable the Upcycling of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Waste
ClearRepurposing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste as an antibacterial packaging material
Researchers repurposed PET plastic waste by integrating antimicrobial agents during reprocessing, creating antibacterial packaging material from recycled PET that inhibits bacterial growth — demonstrating a circular economy approach that adds functional value to plastic waste.
Two-step conversion of polyethylene into recombinant proteins using a microbial platform
Researchers engineered bacteria to break down polyethylene plastic — one of the most common types of plastic pollution — and convert it into useful proteins, demonstrating a promising biological pathway for upcycling plastic waste into valuable materials.
Engineering microbial division of labor for plastic upcycling
Scientists engineered a team of two specialized bacteria that work together to break down PET plastic waste and convert it into useful chemicals. This microbial partnership outperformed single-bacteria approaches, especially when dealing with high concentrations of plastic waste. The research demonstrates a promising biological method for recycling plastic pollution into valuable materials rather than letting it accumulate in the environment.
Upcycling Waste PET into Functional Multiblock Copolymers through Controlled Macromolecular Design
Scientists found a new way to recycle plastic water bottles (PET) by breaking them down and rebuilding them into stronger, more flexible materials that could replace regular plastics in many products. This recycling method creates materials that are just as strong as original plastic but stretch much better without breaking, making them more useful and durable. This breakthrough could help reduce plastic waste while creating better materials, though more research is needed to understand any health effects of these recycled plastics.
Conversion of PET Bottle Waste into a Terephthalic Acid-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Removing Plastic Nanoparticles from Water
Researchers found a way to turn waste PET plastic bottles into a special material (metal-organic framework) that can remove nanoplastic particles from water with up to 97% efficiency. This approach solves two problems at once: it recycles plastic bottle waste and uses the resulting material to clean plastic nanoparticles from contaminated water. The technology offers a promising circular solution for addressing both plastic waste and nanoplastic water pollution.
Biotechnological model for ubiquitous mixed petroleum- and bio-based plastics degradation and upcycling into bacterial nanocellulose
Researchers demonstrated a biotechnological approach for breaking down mixed petroleum-based and bio-based plastic waste and converting it into valuable bacterial nanocellulose. The system used engineered microbial communities to simultaneously degrade different plastic types that are typically difficult to recycle together. The study presents a promising model for sustainable end-of-life management of mixed plastic waste streams, addressing a key challenge in reducing plastic pollution.
Enhanced Methanolysis of Waste PET for Sustainable Production of Dimethyl Terephthalate and Cyclic Arylboronic Esters
Researchers developed a method using boric acid to improve the chemical recycling of waste PET plastic via methanolysis, producing high-purity monomers that can be used in new plastic production. More efficient PET recycling reduces the amount of plastic waste that breaks down into microplastics in the environment.
Chemical Recyclingof Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)Driven by the Use of Protic Ionic Liquids: A Strategy to MitigateMicroplastic Pollution
Researchers developed a chemical recycling process for polyethylene terephthalate plastic using protic ionic liquids as green solvents, enabling depolymerization under milder conditions than conventional methods. The approach achieved high PET conversion rates and yielded recyclable monomers, offering a more sustainable alternative for addressing PET waste and associated microplastic pollution.
Microbial Upcycling of Polyethylene into Recombinant Proteins
Researchers engineered Pseudomonas bacteria to grow using deconstructed polyethylene (a proxy for plastic breakdown products) as their sole carbon source and produce valuable recombinant proteins. This demonstrates a route to converting plastic waste into high-value materials using microbes, potentially reducing the plastic that becomes environmental microplastics.
Enzymatic Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastics by Bacterial Curli Display PETase
Researchers engineered bacteria to display a PET-degrading enzyme on their surface, creating a reusable biocatalyst capable of breaking down polyethylene terephthalate plastics. The system worked under various conditions, remained stable for at least 30 days, and could even degrade PET microplastics in wastewater and highly crystalline consumer plastic waste. This biological approach offers a promising environmentally friendly alternative for plastic recycling and waste treatment.
Cutting-edge developments in plastic biodegradation and upcycling via engineering approaches
This review examines how engineering approaches from synthetic biology and metabolic engineering can improve both the breakdown and upcycling of plastic waste. Researchers found that various microorganisms and their enzymes can degrade plastics and convert the resulting monomers into valuable products like biosurfactants, bioplastics, and biochemicals. The study suggests that optimizing microbial pathways and using hybrid chemo-biological approaches could help build a more sustainable circular plastic economy.
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.
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.
Recent Advances in the Chemobiological Upcycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) into Value-Added Chemicals
This review covers recent advances in biological and chemical upcycling of PET plastic waste into value-added chemicals, examining degradation pathways including pyrolysis, gasification, and enzymatic depolymerization that break PET into monomers for use as bioconversion substrates.
Single-Step Electrochemical Upcycling of PET: Waste to Value-Added Chemicals, Oral Presentation
Researchers developed a single-step electrochemical method to upcycle PET plastic waste into value-added chemicals and organic materials, targeting the over 70% of plastic that ends up in landfills or oceans where it breaks down into microplastics.
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.
Enzymatic Remediation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)–Based Polymers for Effective Management of Plastic Wastes: An Overview
Enzymatic approaches for remediating PET-based plastic waste were reviewed, covering PETase and related enzymes that can break PET into reusable monomers. Enzyme engineering strategies to improve thermostability and catalytic efficiency are discussed as a pathway to scalable biological PET recycling.
Research progress on chemical depolymerization and upcycling of PET waste plastics
This review examines recent advances in chemical methods for breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste plastics into useful raw materials. Researchers surveyed techniques including glycolysis, methanolysis, hydrolysis, and aminolysis that can convert PET back into monomers for reuse. The study highlights chemical depolymerization as a promising approach to reduce plastic pollution while recovering valuable materials from waste.
Polymers Recycling: Upcycling Techniques. an Overview
This paper is not about microplastics in a research sense; it is an overview of polymer recycling and upcycling techniques, mentioning microplastic accumulation briefly as motivation but not investigating microplastics directly.
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.
Chemical Recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Driven by the Use of Protic Ionic Liquids: A Strategy to Mitigate Microplastic Pollution
Researchers explored using environmentally friendly ionic liquids to chemically recycle PET microplastics through hydrolysis, recovering the raw material terephthalic acid. The most effective ionic liquid achieved over 80% PET conversion under relatively mild conditions compared to traditional chemical recycling methods. The study suggests that protic ionic liquids could offer a sustainable, less hazardous approach to breaking down PET microplastic waste.
Toward Microbial Recycling and Upcycling of Plastics: Prospects and Challenges
This review examines the prospects and challenges of using microorganisms to recycle and upcycle plastic waste, assessing the current state of microbial degradation research across major polymer types. The authors identify metabolic engineering and synthetic biology as key tools needed to make biological plastic recycling economically viable at scale.
Structural decay of poly(ethylene terephthalate) by enzymatic degradation
Researchers examined the structural decay of poly(ethylene terephthalate) through enzymatic degradation as a sustainable recycling strategy, finding this approach requires neither energy nor harsh solvents, offering a promising path for addressing microplastic pollution from PET products.