Papers

61,005 results
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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

Evaluating cutinase from Fusarium oxysporum as a biocatalyst for the degradation of nine synthetic polymer

Researchers used computer modeling to test whether a fungal enzyme called cutinase could break down nine types of synthetic plastics, finding strong binding affinity for PET, PCL, and several biodegradable plastics — pointing toward biological tools that could help degrade plastic waste in the environment.

2025 Scientific Reports 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolases: Current and Future Perspectives

This review surveys microbial enzymes capable of breaking down PET plastic, focusing on the structure and function of key hydrolases like PETase and cutinases. Researchers found that while several enzymes show promising PET-degrading activity, most work slowly and under limited temperature conditions, with engineered variants showing improved performance. The study highlights both the potential and the current limitations of using biological approaches for plastic waste management.

2020 Frontiers in Microbiology 168 citations
Article Tier 2

The Current State of Research on PET Hydrolyzing Enzymes Available for Biorecycling

This review summarizes the current state of PET-hydrolyzing enzymes, including thermophilic cutinases and engineered variants, that are candidates for enzymatic biorecycling of PET plastic waste back into reusable monomers.

2021 Catalysts 91 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on cutinases enzyme in degradation of microplastics

This review examines the role of cutinase enzymes produced by bacteria and fungi in degrading various types of microplastics and plastic films. The study suggests that while enzymatic biodegradation shows promise as a remediation strategy, the diversity of microplastic types and their associated contaminants present significant challenges for effective environmental cleanup.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 54 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overview into Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Hydrolases and Efforts in Tailoring Enzymes for Improved Plastic Degradation

This review examines the discovery and engineering of PET-degrading enzymes including PETase and cutinase variants, discussing protein engineering strategies to improve catalytic efficiency and thermostability for practical biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of synthetic plastics by the extracellular lipase of Aspergillus niger

Researchers produced a lipase enzyme from the common fungus Aspergillus niger using agricultural waste and tested its ability to break down three types of plastic. The enzyme caused measurable weight loss in polyethylene, PET, and polystyrene samples, and microscopy confirmed physical degradation of the plastic surfaces. The study suggests that fungal enzymes could serve as an environmentally friendly tool for breaking down plastic waste.

2024 Environmental Advances 34 citations
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 overview on role of fungi in systematic plastic degradation

This review examines the role of fungi in plastic degradation, surveying fungal species and enzymes capable of breaking down common polymers and discussing their potential for sustainable bioremediation of plastic pollution in the environment.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2026 International Journal of Education Management and Technology
Article Tier 2

Fungal Enzymes Involved in Plastics Biodegradation

Researchers reviewed the current literature on fungal enzymes capable of degrading various types of plastic polymers. The study cataloged different enzyme classes including laccases, peroxidases, and cutinases, describing their characteristics and efficacy against specific plastics. Evidence indicates that fungi offer a promising biological approach to plastic biodegradation due to their diverse array of enzymes specialized in breaking down recalcitrant substances.

2022 Microorganisms 263 citations
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

Microbial and Enzymatic Degradation of Plastic Waste in Water

This review surveys microbial and enzymatic pathways for degrading plastic waste in water, cataloging enzymes such as PETases and cutinases along with the microorganisms that produce them. The authors assess current limitations of biological degradation rates and discuss how enzyme engineering and synthetic microbial consortia could accelerate plastic breakdown.

2024
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

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

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

Myco-remediation of plastic pollution: current knowledge and future prospects

Researchers reviewed the growing body of evidence showing that fungi can break down common plastics — including polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene — by secreting specialized enzymes that attack and mineralize plastic polymers, with many effective species coming from the Aspergillus and Penicillium families. The review calls for metagenomic approaches to discover more plastic-degrading fungi and develop them into practical bioremediation tools.

2023 Biodegradation 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of BgP, a Cutinase-Like Polyesterase From a Deep-Sea Sponge-Derived Actinobacterium

Researchers identified BgP, a cutinase-like polyesterase enzyme from a deep-sea sponge-derived actinobacterium, which can hydrolyze synthetic polyesters including PET plastic, highlighting marine bacteria as a promising source of plastic-degrading enzymes.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2017 Microbial Biotechnology 788 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 663 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Enzymatic Degradation on the Material Properties of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate)

This study tested whether a plastic-degrading enzyme (PETase) could break down recycled PET plastic and whether the degradation changed its material properties in ways that could affect fragmentation into microplastics. Enzyme treatment caused visible surface degradation and reduced the plastic's strength. Understanding how biological degradation alters plastic properties helps predict how PET breaks down into microplastics in the environment.

2021 Polymers 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Refining Solid State Fermentation of Fusarium oxysporum for Enhanced Polyethylene Terephthalate Biodegradation Efficiency

PET plastic — the material in water bottles and food packaging — breaks down slowly in the environment, contributing to long-lasting microplastic pollution. This study optimized a solid-state fermentation process using the fungus Fusarium oxysporum to enhance its enzyme output and improve its ability to degrade PET plastic. Fine-tuning fungal biodegradation systems like this could offer a scalable biological approach to breaking down PET waste before it fragments into environmental microplastics.

2025 Malaysian Journal of Chemistry 1 citations
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

Fungal Bioremediation of Microplastics

This review examines how fungi can be used for bioremediation of plastic pollution, covering the enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in fungal plastic degradation. Fungal approaches complement bacterial strategies and may offer unique capabilities for breaking down certain types of plastics in contaminated environments.

2022 4 citations