Engineered microbes could break down plastic and build new bioplastics
Rizki WOS, Pangestu R, Trinugroho JP, Helianti I
Phytoremediation
The compost bin in your backyard already relies on microbes to break down organic matter, and this same microbial toolkit is now being engineered to tackle plastic waste and grow plant-based alternatives to it.
Researchers are tweaking the genes of bacteria and other microbes so they can do two jobs better: eat through tough plastics like PET bottles, and produce new plant-based plastics called PHAs from renewable materials instead of oil. The wild versions of these microbes aren't efficient enough for factories, so scientists are engineering souped-up strains and enzymes to make the process cheaper and faster, though cost and durability challenges remain before this hits large scale.
Key Findings
Engineered enzymes have enabled PET plastic degradation at pilot industrial scale, a step toward enzymatic plastic recycling
Newly identified and genetically tuned microbial strains can convert renewable feedstocks into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a high-performance bioplastic
Metabolic engineering has improved bioplastic yield, altered polymer composition, and lowered production costs, though enzyme stability and economic scalability remain unresolved challenges
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists are engineering bacteria and enzymes to both break down plastic waste and manufacture new bioplastics from renewable feedstocks, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for plastic production.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
The role of microbial metabolic engineering for circular plastics economy.
The transition toward a circular plastics economy focuses on transformative innovations that decouple plastic production from fossil resources and mitigate environmental contamination. Central to t...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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