Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Efficient secretion of a plastic degrading enzyme from the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Scientists engineered green algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) to produce and secrete PHL7, an enzyme capable of breaking down PET plastic. The algae successfully secreted active enzyme that degraded both PET and polyurethane plastics in laboratory tests. This approach suggests that photosynthetic microorganisms could potentially be deployed as a biological tool to help break down plastic pollution in the environment.

2025 Scientific Reports 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient secretion of a plastic degrading enzyme from the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was engineered to secrete the PHL7 plastic-degrading enzyme and selected on polyurethane-containing agar plates, with robust strains demonstrating efficient PET plastic breakdown, offering a photosynthetic platform for biological plastic degradation.

2024 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Using a marine microalga as a chassis for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) degradation

Researchers genetically engineered a marine microalgae to produce enzymes that break down PET plastic (the kind used in bottles and synthetic fibers), demonstrating for the first time that a saltwater microalgae can be used as a biological platform for PET degradation. This proof-of-concept points toward eco-friendly, ocean-based solutions for tackling plastic pollution at its source.

2019 Microbial Cell Factories 313 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Biodegradation: Analysis of Potential Polyurethane-degrading Enzymes and Their Secretion in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers used the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to produce a potential polyurethane-degrading enzyme, analyzing which enzymes the alga secretes and whether they can break down plastic. Enzymatic plastic degradation using photosynthetic organisms could offer a solar-powered approach to addressing plastic pollution.

2023
Article Tier 2

Engineering microalgae as a whole cell catalyst for PET degradation

Researchers engineered the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to express PETase, a plastic-degrading enzyme, creating a solar-powered whole-cell biocatalyst capable of breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) under saltwater conditions without external energy inputs.

2021 Methods in enzymology on CD-ROM/Methods in enzymology 5 citations
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

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.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 92 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene Terephthalate Induced Oxidative Stress in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Implications for Intracellular Response Pathways and Ecosystem Health

This review examined how PET plastic pollution in freshwater and soil generates microplastics and small molecules that cause reactive oxygen species generation, lipid peroxidation, and disruption of photosynthetic electron transport in green algae, using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model organism.

2025 American journal of student research.
Article Tier 2

Biểu hiện, tinh sạch và đánh giá sơ bộ hoạt tính phân hủy nhựa PET của enzyme PETase tái tổ hợp

Vietnamese researchers successfully expressed and purified recombinant PETase enzyme — which breaks down PET plastic — finding optimal expression conditions and that adding glycerol and DTT enhanced its plastic-degrading activity. This is directly relevant to microplastic research as PETase-based biodegradation is a promising biological approach to reducing PET plastic waste and microplastic generation.

2023 Journal of Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineered Vibrio natriegens as a living biocatalyst for in-situ biodegradation of microplastics in seawater

Researchers engineered the fast-growing marine bacterium Vibrio natriegens to display PETase enzymes on its outer membrane, creating a living biocatalyst that degrades PET microplastics directly in seawater conditions, outperforming comparable E. coli-based systems in both growth rate and hydrolytic activity. This halophilic whole-cell approach addresses a key gap in bioremediation — most PETase studies use freshwater organisms that cannot survive the salinity of marine environments where plastic pollution is most severe.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 85 citations
Article Tier 2

An archaeal lid-containing feruloyl esterase degrades polyethylene terephthalate

Researchers identified the first known archaeal enzyme capable of degrading polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a major plastic pollutant found worldwide. The enzyme, called PET46, comes from a deep-sea archaeon and showed degradation activity on PET comparable to previously known bacterial enzymes. The study expands the known diversity of plastic-degrading enzymes and suggests that organisms from extreme environments may harbor useful tools for addressing plastic pollution.

2023 Communications Chemistry 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Explorations of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Hydrolase for addressing PET Plastic Pollution

This review explores the biology of PETase enzymes and their potential for addressing PET plastic pollution, covering the discovery of Ideonella sakaiensis and subsequent enzyme engineering efforts. Developing efficient PET-degrading enzymes is a promising biotechnological strategy for reducing plastic pollution at scale.

2019 The FASEB Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Display of PETase on the cell surface of Escherichia coli using the anchor protein PgsA

This study engineered bacteria to display a PET-degrading enzyme (PETase) on their cell surface, eliminating the costly step of purifying the enzyme for plastic breakdown. The approach could reduce the cost of biological PET plastic recycling, potentially offering a more scalable pathway for breaking down one of the most common plastic types.

2023
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine PET Hydrolase (PET2): Assessment of Terephthalate- and Indole-Based Polyester Depolymerization

This study characterized a marine-derived enzyme (PET2) capable of breaking down PET plastic under mild conditions, assessing its efficiency for enzymatic recycling. Enzyme-based PET recycling could prevent plastic waste from fragmenting into the microplastics that accumulate in oceans and organisms.

2023 Catalysts 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine PET Hydrolase (PET2): Assessment of Terephthalate- and Indole-Based Polyesters Depolymerization

Researchers characterized a marine enzyme (PET2) capable of breaking down PET plastic and related polyester materials under relatively mild conditions. Discovering and engineering enzymes that can degrade PET could help address the massive accumulation of PET microplastics in ocean environments.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and engineering of a plastic-degrading aromatic polyesterase

Researchers characterized and engineered an aromatic polyesterase enzyme capable of degrading plastic polymers, improving its activity through protein engineering and demonstrating its potential as a tool for biodegradation-based plastic cleanup.

2018 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1006 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Microbial Biotechnology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 AIMS Microbiology 8 citations