2023 journal article
Breakdown of polyethylene therepthalate microplastics under saltwater conditions using engineered Vibrio natriegens
AIChE Journal.
TL;DR:
This project leveraged synthetic biology to develop a whole‐cell biocatalyst capable of depolymerizing PET in seawater environments by using the fast‐growing, nonpathogenic, moderate halophile Vibrio natriegens.
(via Semantic Scholar)
open access via doi.org (publisher)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
(Web of Science)
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
(Web of Science)
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
(Web of Science)
14. Life Below Water
(Web of Science; OpenAlex)
Source: ORCID
Added: September 15, 2023
AbstractPoly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a highly recyclable plastic that has been extensively used and manufactured. Like other plastics, PET resists natural degradation, thus accumulating in the environment. Several recycling strategies have been applied to PET, but these tend to result in downcycled products that eventually end up in landfills. This accumulation of landfilled PET waste contributes to the formation of microplastics, which pose a serious threat to marine life and ecosystems, and potentially to human health. To address this issue, our project leveraged synthetic biology to develop a whole‐cell biocatalyst capable of depolymerizing PET in seawater environments by using the fast‐growing, nonpathogenic, moderate halophile Vibrio natriegens. By leveraging a two‐enzyme system—comprising a chimera of IsPETase and IsMHETase from Ideonella sakaiensis—displayed on V. natriegens, we constructed whole‐cell catalysts that depolymerize PET and convert it into its monomers in salt‐containing media and at a temperature of 30°C.