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Assessing biological degradation of non-hydrolysable synthetic polymers

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Why This Matters

This reference list underlines a growing scientific push to tackle the plastic pollution crisis by using engineered enzymes and microbes to break down non-hydrolysable synthetic polymers, materials that traditionally resist environmental degradation. For the tech and materials industries, advances in enzymatic depolymerization—especially for PET—signal a path toward scalable, biology-based plastic recycling that could reduce reliance on landfilling and incineration.

Key Takeaways

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Chamas, A. et al. Degradation rates of plastics in the environment. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 8, 3494–3511 (2020).

Walsh, A. N. et al. Plastic formulation is an emerging control of its photochemical fate in the ocean. Environ. Sci. Technol. 55, 12383–12392 (2021).

Danso, D., Chow, J. & Streit, W. R. Plastics: environmental and biotechnological perspectives on microbial degradation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 85, e01095-19 (2019).

Wei, R. & Zimmermann, W. Microbial enzymes for the recycling of recalcitrant petroleum-based plastics: how far are we? Microb. Biotechnol. 10, 1308–1322 (2017).

Müller, R. J., Schrader, H., Profe, J., Dresler, K. & Deckwer, W. D. Enzymatic degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate): rapid hydrolyse using a hydrolase from T. fusca. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 26, 1400–1405 (2005).

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Sulaiman, S. et al. Isolation of a novel cutinase homolog with polyethylene terephthalate-degrading activity from leaf-branch compost by using a metagenomic approach. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 78, 1556–1562 (2012).

Tournier, V. et al. An engineered PET depolymerase to break down and recycle plastic bottles. Nature 580, 216–219 (2020).

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