Engineered soil bacteria break down compostable plastic twice as fast
Martín-González D, Tagarro CdlF, Muñoz R, Bordel S, Santos-Beneit F
Phytoremediation
That 'compostable' mulch film or produce bag in your kitchen drawer breaks down far slower than the label suggests, and this kind of engineered microbe could be part of what actually gets it into your compost pile on a realistic timeline.
Researchers took a common soil bacterium and gave it a new gene borrowed from a fungus, letting it produce and release an enzyme that chews through PBAT, a plastic often marketed as compostable. The engineered bacteria broke down the plastic up to twice as fast as normal, and as a bonus, made more of a natural biodegradable material of their own along the way. It's an early step toward microbes that could help clean up plastic waste in soil.
Key Findings
Engineered Paracoccus denitrificans PD1222 secreted an active fungal cutinase (FsCut) via a new plasmid, pV1
PBAT degradation rates were 2.27-fold higher in enriched medium and 1.9-fold higher in defined mineral medium compared to control bacteria
The engineered strain also accumulated 1.16-fold more of the biodegradable polymer PHB than the control
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists genetically engineered a soil bacterium to produce a plastic-eating enzyme, more than doubling the breakdown rate of PBAT, a common compostable plastic used in bags and packaging.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Engineering Paracoccus denitrificans PD1222 for Fusarium solani cutinase-mediated biodegradation of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate).
Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is an aromatic-aliphatic copolyester widely used in packaging and consumer products. Its aromatic rings confer high resistance to hydrolysis, limiting...
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