Jul 2026· Practices in Science and Technology· 0 citations· 51 references
Abstract
This study outlines existing metabolic engineering techniques for bio-upcycling PET into high-value compounds, as well as a number of engineering approaches intended to improve the performance of PET-degrading enzymes. One of the most popular aromatic polyesters in the world, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has an annual demand of over 29 million metric tons in 2022 and is expected to rise by 40% by 2030. Due to the growing amount of PET waste and the existing insufficiency of recycling techniques, it has accumulated in terrestrial ecosystems, posing serious hazards to world health. These technologies seek to convert recovered PET into more valuable items in order to address energy issues as well as environmental sustainability. One potentially biosustainable technique for handling and recycling plastics is enzyme-mediated biocatalytic depolymerization. Protein engineering developments have been applied to modify and improve the many plastic-degrading enzymes that have been discovered from microbial sources. Additionally, microbial metabolic engineering makes it possible to create customized microbial chassis that can break down PET substrates and transform the resulting monomers into compounds that are useful for industry.
This review aims to synthesize knowledge on plastics and microbial plastic degradation, with particular focus on emerging and re-emerging challenges that hinder its large-scale application.
Agbiji, N.N., Eknog M.O, Akubuenyi F et al.· Biological and Environmental...· 0 citations
This review includes various bacterial and fungal enzymes associated with major stages of microbial plastic degradation, including biodeterioration, biofragmentation, bioassimilation, and mineralization and highlights recent advancements in metagenomics, enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, and multi‐omics approaches that helps in improving the efficiency and large‐scale industrial feasibility of microbial plastic degradation.
Petroleum-derived plastic pollution has become increasingly severe, stimulating the application demand for biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA). Nevertheless, the slow natural degradation rate of PLA limits its large-scale practical application. In this study, two potential novel strains with PLLA-degrading capacity, Chryseobacterium sp. L42 and Pedobacter sp. D55, were successfully isolated based on microbial community analysis of soil from plastic-manufacturing plants, combined with transparent-circle assays and PLA-film degradation tests. Integrated transcriptomic analysis and RT-qPCR validation, together with functional verification via heterologous expression in E. coli BL21 (DE3), confirmed that enzymes 10_101 and 10_105 from strain L42 exhibit prominent PLA-degrading activity, and both possess dual esterase and protease activities. Results from AlphaFold3 protein-structure prediction and molecular docking revealed that these functional enzymes contain conserved active pockets of PHA depolymerase, which target the ester bonds of PLA trimers through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. This study clarifies the multi-enzyme synergistic PLA-degradation pathway mediated by strain L42. It provides valuable novel bacterial strains and degrading enzymes for the efficient bioremediation of plastic waste, and offers theoretical basis and practical reference for overcoming the technical bottlenecks in PLA degradation.
Yuan Yuan, Guo-Ji Zhang, Wen-Xin Song et al.· Bioresource Technology· 0 citations
A theoretical Plastic-to-Fertilizer (P2F) framework that proposes an engineered four-member microbial consortium capable of partially depolymerizing mixed plastic waste, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP), and channeling selected plastic-derived carbon intermediates toward biosynthesis of agronomically beneficial compounds is presented.
Krishnaraj Narayanan· Frontiers in Microbiology· 0 citations
This study isolated 305 marine-derived microorganisms with potential PET-degrading capability from samples collected from mangrove areas of Zhanjiang and the intertidal zones of Daya Bay, Shenzhen, China, using PET powder as a major carbon source and reveals the genetic basis underlying PET degradation and associated metabolic pathways in strain SCSIO 85700.
Shi-Jing Deng, Qiaoqiao Guo, Yun-He An et al.· Microorganisms· 0 citations
: The increasing prevalence of plastic pollution demands strategies for sustainable biodegradable plastic production. Marine bacteria can be found on all continents able to survive in a variety of salinity levels and may be used to biosynthesis polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which can serve as a bioplastic substitute for conventional petroleum-based plastics. This paper presents a literature review and case study examining marine PHAs-producing microorganisms in the context of a circular bioeconomy and waste management. More specifically, it examines the marine PHA-producing bacteria’s ability to utilise varying and renewable carbon substrates for PHA biosynthesis. From prior research studies, it was found that diversity of marine bacteria possesses the ability to produce short-chain length (scl-PHA) and medium-chain length (mcl-PHA) types of PHAs, leading to wide potential applications. The integration of marine bacterial processes not only mitigates waste and pollution in the environment but also contributes to carbon cycling through the conversion of greenhouse gases into valuable biopolymers. This demonstrates the importance of marine microbes for bioplastic production and reinforces the need for the use of marine biota in the management of bioplastics to achieve a sustainable and circular economy.
Nurul Afifah Mohd Kamal Rufadzil, Siti Nor Syairah Anis, S. Vigneswari· Journal of Polymer Materials· 0 citations