marine-microbiome
The marine microbiome encompasses the diverse communities of bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses that associate with marine organisms and their environments. Understanding these microbial networks is increasingly relevant to plant science because marine plants and algae—from seagrasses to macroalgae—depend on their associated microbiomes for nutrient cycling, disease resistance, and stress tolerance. Insights from marine host-microbiome interactions also inform broader principles of how land plants recruit and maintain beneficial microbial communities in their rhizospheres and phyllospheres.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-24
Marine bacteria called Flavobacteria produce enzymes that can break down PET plastic — the kind found in bottles and packaging — marking the first known link between this enzyme family and plastic degradation. Their widespread ocean distribution and the fact that these enzymes are released into the environment suggest they may already be quietly dissolving plastic pollution in the sea.
Two new marine Flavobacteria strains were isolated that degrade both PET foil and PET powder using secreted dienelactone hydrolase (DLH) enzymes — the first documented PET-active function for this enzyme class
Dienelactone hydrolases (EC 3.1.1.45), previously known only for breaking down cyclic esters in soil bacteria, were found to act on PET plastic in a marine bacterial lineage
Flavobacteria are widespread in marine environments and secrete these enzymes externally, suggesting a potentially large-scale, naturally occurring role in ocean PET remediation