1
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Stoddard H, Kulas D, Zolghadr A, Aloba S, Schaerer LG, Putman L, Valencia I, Lacey JA, Shonnard DR, Techtmann SM, Ong RG. Biofilm mitigation in hybrid chemical-biological upcycling of waste polymers. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1435695. [PMID: 39104625 PMCID: PMC11298394 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1435695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Accumulation of plastic waste in the environment is a serious global issue. To deal with this, there is a need for improved and more efficient methods for plastic waste recycling. One approach is to depolymerize plastic using pyrolysis or chemical deconstruction followed by microbial-upcycling of the monomers into more valuable products. Microbial consortia may be able to increase stability in response to process perturbations and adapt to diverse carbon sources, but may be more likely to form biofilms that foul process equipment, increasing the challenge of harvesting the cell biomass. Methods: To better understand the relationship between bioprocess conditions, biofilm formation, and ecology within the bioreactor, in this study a previously-enriched microbial consortium (LS1_Calumet) was grown on (1) ammonium hydroxide-depolymerized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monomers and (2) the pyrolysis products of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Bioreactor temperature, pH, agitation speed, and aeration were varied to determine the conditions that led to the highest production of planktonic biomass and minimal formation of biofilm. The community makeup and diversity in the planktonic and biofilm states were evaluated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results: Results showed that there was very little microbial growth on the liquid product from pyrolysis under all fermentation conditions. When grown on the chemically-deconstructed PET the highest cell density (0.69 g/L) with minimal biofilm formation was produced at 30°C, pH 7, 100 rpm agitation, and 10 sL/hr airflow. Results from 16S rRNAsequencing showed that the planktonic phase had higher observed diversity than the biofilm, and that Rhodococcus, Paracoccus, and Chelatococcus were the most abundant genera for all process conditions. Biofilm formation by Rhodococcus sp. And Paracoccus sp. Isolates was typically lower than the full microbial community and varied based on the carbon source. Discussion: Ultimately, the results indicate that biofilm formation within the bioreactor can be significantly reduced by optimizing process conditions and using pure cultures or a less diverse community, while maintaining high biomass productivity. The results of this study provide insight into methods for upcycling plastic waste and how process conditions can be used to control the formation of biofilm in bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter Stoddard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Daniel Kulas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Ali Zolghadr
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Sulihat Aloba
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Laura G. Schaerer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Lindsay Putman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Isabel Valencia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Jeffrey A. Lacey
- Biological Processing Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, United States
| | - David R. Shonnard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Stephen M. Techtmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
| | - Rebecca G. Ong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States
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2
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Manoli MT, Gargantilla-Becerra Á, Del Cerro Sánchez C, Rivero-Buceta V, Prieto MA, Nogales J. A model-driven approach to upcycling recalcitrant feedstocks in Pseudomonas putida by decoupling PHA production from nutrient limitation. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113979. [PMID: 38517887 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have emerged as promising eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastics since they are synthesized from renewable resources and offer exceptional properties. However, their production is limited to the stationary growth phase under nutrient-limited conditions, requiring customized strategies and costly two-phase bioprocesses. In this study, we tackle these challenges by employing a model-driven approach to reroute carbon flux and remove regulatory constraints using synthetic biology. We construct a collection of Pseudomonas putida-overproducing strains at the expense of plastics and lignin-related compounds using growth-coupling approaches. PHA production was successfully achieved during growth phase, resulting in the production of up to 46% PHA/cell dry weight while maintaining a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Our strains are additionally validated under an upcycling scenario using enzymatically hydrolyzed polyethylene terephthalate as a feedstock. These findings have the potential to revolutionize PHA production and address the global plastic crisis by overcoming the complexities of traditional PHA production bioprocesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Tsampika Manoli
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Gargantilla-Becerra
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain; 3Systems Biotechnology Group, Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Carlos Del Cerro Sánchez
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Virginia Rivero-Buceta
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Auxiliadora Prieto
- Polymer Biotechnology Group, Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan Nogales
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain; 3Systems Biotechnology Group, Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain; CNB DNA Biofoundry (CNBio), CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Weiland F, Kohlstedt M, Wittmann C. Biobased de novo synthesis, upcycling, and recycling - the heartbeat toward a green and sustainable polyethylene terephthalate industry. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 86:103079. [PMID: 38422776 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has revolutionized the industrial sector because of its versatility, with its predominant uses in the textiles and packaging materials industries. Despite the various advantages of this polymer, its synthesis is, unfavorably, tightly intertwined with nonrenewable fossil resources. Additionally, given its widespread use, accumulating PET waste poses a significant environmental challenge. As a result, current research in the areas of biological recycling, upcycling, and de novo synthesis is intensifying. Biological recycling involves the use of micro-organisms or enzymes to breakdown PET into monomers, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional recycling. Upcycling transforms PET waste into value-added products, expanding its potential application range and promoting a circular economy. Moreover, studies of cascading biological and chemical processes driven by microbial cell factories have explored generating PET using renewable, biobased feedstocks such as lignin. These avenues of research promise to mitigate the environmental footprint of PET, underlining the importance of sustainable innovations in the industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabia Weiland
- Institute of Systems Biotechnology, Saarland University, Germany
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4
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Amalia L, Chang CY, Wang SSS, Yeh YC, Tsai SL. Recent advances in the biological depolymerization and upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 85:103053. [PMID: 38128200 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is favored for its exceptional properties and widespread daily use. This review highlights recent advancements that enable the development of biological tools for PET decomposition, transforming PET into valuable platform chemicals and materials in upcycling processes. Enhancing PET hydrolases' catalytic activity and efficiency through protein engineering strategies is a priority, facilitating more effective PET waste management. Efforts to create novel PET hydrolases for large-scale PET depolymerization continue, but cost-effectiveness remains challenging. Hydrolyzed monomers must add additional value to make PET recycling economically attractive. Valorization of hydrolysis products through the upcycling process is expected to produce new compounds with different values and qualities from the initial polymer, making the decomposed monomers more appealing. Advances in synthetic biology and enzyme engineering hold promise for PET upcycling. While biological depolymerization offers environmental benefits, further research is needed to make PET upcycling sustainable and economically feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lita Amalia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yu Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Steven S-S Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chun Yeh
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan
| | - Shen-Long Tsai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan.
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5
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Qiu J, Chen Y, Zhang L, Wu J, Zeng X, Shi X, Liu L, Chen J. A comprehensive review on enzymatic biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117427. [PMID: 37865324 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a polymer synthesized via the dehydration and condensation reaction between ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. PET has emerged as one of the most extensively employed plastic materials due to its exceptional plasticity and durability. Nevertheless, PET has a complex structure and is extremely difficult to degrade in nature, causing severe pollution to the global ecological environment and posing a threat to human health. Currently, the methods for PET processing mainly include physical, chemical, and biological methods. Biological enzyme degradation is considered the most promising PET degradation method. In recent years, an increasing number of enzymes that can degrade PET have been identified, and they primarily target the ester bond of PET. This review comprehensively introduced the latest research progress in PET enzymatic degradation from the aspects of PET-degrading enzymes, PET biodegradation pathways, the catalytic mechanism of PET-degrading enzymes, and biotechnological strategies for enhancing PET-degrading enzymes. On this basis, the current challenges within the enzymatic PET degradation process were summarized, and the directions that need to be worked on in the future were pointed out. This review provides a reference and basis for the subsequent effective research on PET biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarong Qiu
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China; Development Center of Science and Education Park of Fuzhou University, Jinjiang, 362251, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China
| | - Liangqing Zhang
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China; Development Center of Science and Education Park of Fuzhou University, Jinjiang, 362251, China.
| | - Jinzhi Wu
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China
| | - Xianhai Zeng
- College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xinguo Shi
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China
| | - Lemian Liu
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang 362251, China
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6
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Putman LI, Schaerer LG, Wu R, Kulas DG, Zolghadr A, Ong RG, Shonnard DR, Techtmann SM. Deconstructed Plastic Substrate Preferences of Microbial Populations from the Natural Environment. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0036223. [PMID: 37260392 PMCID: PMC10433879 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00362-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Over half of the world's plastic waste is landfilled, where it is estimated to take hundreds of years to degrade. Given the continued use and disposal of plastic products, it is vital that we develop fast and effective ways to utilize plastic waste. Here, we explore the potential of tandem chemical and biological processing to process various plastics quickly and effectively. Four samples of compost or sediment were used to set up enrichment cultures grown on mixtures of compounds, including disodium terephthalate and terephthalic acid (monomers of polyethylene terephthalate), compounds derived from the chemical deconstruction of polycarbonate, and pyrolysis oil derived from high-density polyethylene plastics. Established enrichment communities were also grown on individual substrates to investigate the substrate preferences of different taxa. Biomass harvested from the cultures was characterized using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. These data reveal low-diversity microbial communities structured by differences in culture inoculum, culture substrate source plastic type, and time. Microbial populations from the classes Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteriae were significantly enriched when grown on substrates derived from high-density polyethylene and polycarbonate. The metagenomic data contain abundant aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon degradation genes relevant to the biodegradation of deconstructed plastic substrates used here. We show that microbial populations from diverse environments are capable of growth on substrates derived from the chemical deconstruction or pyrolysis of multiple plastic types and that paired chemical and biological processing of plastics should be further developed for industrial applications to manage plastic waste. IMPORTANCE The durability and impermeable nature of plastics have made them a popular material for numerous applications, but these same qualities make plastics difficult to dispose of, resulting in massive amounts of accumulated plastic waste in landfills and the natural environment. Since plastic use and disposal are projected to increase in the future, novel methods to effectively break down and dispose of current and future plastic waste are desperately needed. We show that the products of chemical deconstruction or pyrolysis of plastic can successfully sustain the growth of low-diversity microbial communities. These communities were enriched from multiple environmental sources and are capable of degrading complex xenobiotic carbon compounds. This study demonstrates that tandem chemical and biological processing can be used to degrade multiple types of plastics over a relatively short period of time and may be a future avenue for the mitigation of rapidly accumulating plastic waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay I. Putman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Laura G. Schaerer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Ruochen Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel G. Kulas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Ali Zolghadr
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Rebecca G. Ong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - David R. Shonnard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen M. Techtmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
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7
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Putman LI, Schaerer LG, Wu R, Kulas DG, Zolghadr A, Ong RG, Shonnard DR, Techtmann SM, Arbanas LG, Bannerman GG, Cart B, Cureton A, Doerr BP, Jovicevic Z, Langosch M, MacLeod AB, McCloskey C, McNally AM, Monkevich MK, Noecker A, Norris D, Pellizzon VG, Strom KB, Taylor EE. Metagenomic Sequencing of Two Cultures Grown on Chemically Deconstructed Plastic Products. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023:e0130422. [PMID: 37338395 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01304-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the metagenome sequences of two microbial cultures that were grown with chemically deconstructed plastic products as their sole carbon source. These metagenomes will provide insights into the metabolic capabilities of cultures grown on deconstructed plastics and can serve as a starting point for the identification of novel plastic degradation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay I Putman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Laura G Schaerer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Ruochen Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel G Kulas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Ali Zolghadr
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Rebecca G Ong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - David R Shonnard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen M Techtmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Lucille G Arbanas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Gabriel G Bannerman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Brice Cart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Allen Cureton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Benjamin P Doerr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Zora Jovicevic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Mary Langosch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Aaron B MacLeod
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Caden McCloskey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Avery M McNally
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Mykenzie K Monkevich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Adrian Noecker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Dylan Norris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Vincent G Pellizzon
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Kylie B Strom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Emily E Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
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8
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Behera S, Das S. Environmental impacts of microplastic and role of plastisphere microbes in the biodegradation and upcycling of microplastic. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 334:138928. [PMID: 37211165 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Increasing usage of plastic has led to the deposition of plastic in the environment which later become microplastic, a pollutant of global concern. These polymeric particles affect the ecosystem bestowing toxicity and impede the biogeochemical cycles. Besides, microplastic particles have been known for their role in aggravating the effect of various other environmental pollutants including organic pollutants and heavy metals. These microplastic surfaces are often colonized by the microbial communities also known as "plastisphere microbes" forming biofilms. These microbes include cyanobacteria like Nostoc, Scytonema, etc., and diatoms like Navicula, Cyclotella, etc. Which become the primary colonizer. In addition to the autotrophic microbes, Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria dominate the plastisphere microbial community. These biofilm-forming microbes can efficiently degrade the microplastic in the environment by secreting various catabolic enzymes such as lipase, esterase, hydroxylase, etc. Besides, these microbes have shown great potential for the bioconversion of microplastic to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), an energy efficient and sustainable alternative to the petroleum based plastics. Thus, these microbes can be used for the creation of a circular economy using waste to wealth strategy. This review provides a deeper insight into the distribution, transportation, transformation, and biodegradation of microplastic in the ecosystem. The formation of plastisphere by the biofilm-forming microbes has been described in the article. In addition, the microbial metabolic pathways and genetic regulations involved in the biodegradation have been discussed in detail. The article suggests the microbial bioremediation and upcycling of microplastic along with various other strategies for effectively mitigate the microplastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivananda Behera
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769 008, Odisha, India
| | - Surajit Das
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769 008, Odisha, India.
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9
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Crnjar A, Griñen A, Kamerlin SCL, Ramírez-Sarmiento CA. Conformational Selection of a Tryptophan Side Chain Drives the Generalized Increase in Activity of PET Hydrolases through a Ser/Ile Double Mutation. ACS ORGANIC & INORGANIC AU 2023; 3:109-119. [PMID: 37035283 PMCID: PMC10080609 DOI: 10.1021/acsorginorgau.2c00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is the most common polyester plastic in the packaging industry and a major source of environmental pollution due to its single use. Several enzymes, termed PET hydrolases, have been found to hydrolyze this polymer at different temperatures, with the enzyme from Ideonella sakaiensis (IsPETase) having optimal catalytic activity at 30-35 °C. Crystal structures of IsPETase have revealed that the side chain of a conserved tryptophan residue within an active site loop (W185) shifts between three conformations to enable substrate binding and product release. This is facilitated by two residues unique to IsPETase, S214 and I218. When these residues are inserted into other PET hydrolases in place of the otherwise strictly conserved histidine and phenylalanine residues found at their respective positions, they enhance activity and decrease T opt. Herein, we combine molecular dynamics and well-tempered metadynamics simulations to investigate dynamic changes of the S214/I218 and H214/F218 variants of IsPETase, as well as three other mesophilic and thermophilic PET hydrolases, at their respective temperature and pH optima. Our simulations show that the S214/I218 insertion both increases the flexibility of active site loop regions harboring key catalytic residues and the conserved tryptophan and expands the conformational plasticity of this tryptophan side chain, enabling the conformational transitions that allow for substrate binding and product release in IsPETase. The observed catalytic enhancement caused by this substitution in other PET hydrolases appears to be due to conformational selection, by capturing the conformational ensemble observed in IsPETase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Crnjar
- Department
of Chemistry—BMC, Uppsala University, BMC Box 576, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aransa Griñen
- Institute
for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine
and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- ANID—Millennium
Science Initiative Program—Millennium Institute for Integrative
Biology (iBio), Av. Libertador
Bernardo O’Higgins 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Shina C. L. Kamerlin
- Department
of Chemistry—BMC, Uppsala University, BMC Box 576, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, 901 Atlantic
Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United
States
| | - César A. Ramírez-Sarmiento
- Institute
for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine
and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- ANID—Millennium
Science Initiative Program—Millennium Institute for Integrative
Biology (iBio), Av. Libertador
Bernardo O’Higgins 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
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10
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Post C, Maniar D, Voet VSD, Folkersma R, Loos K. Biobased 2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan as a Versatile Building Block for Sustainable Polymeric Materials. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:8991-9003. [PMID: 36936293 PMCID: PMC10018510 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Furanic polymers, currently mainly represented by polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate (PEF), also known as polyethylene furanoate, have a fantastic potential to replace fossil-based polymers: for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). While 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a precursor of PEF, and its derived polymers have been studied extensively, 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) has received relatively little attention so far. Similarly to FDCA, BHMF is a biobased platform chemical derived from renewable sources such as sugars. This review highlights different polymerization techniques for BHMF-based polyesters and addresses BHMF's relative instability during the synthesis of BHMF-derived polymers, including polycarbonates and polyurethanes. Furthermore, the degradability of furanic polyesters is discussed and BHMF's toxicity is briefly elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelis Post
- Macromolecular
Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747
AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Circular
Plastics, NHL Stenden University of Applied
Sciences, Van Schaikweg 94, 7811 KL Emmen, The Netherlands
| | - Dina Maniar
- Macromolecular
Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747
AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent S. D. Voet
- Circular
Plastics, NHL Stenden University of Applied
Sciences, Van Schaikweg 94, 7811 KL Emmen, The Netherlands
| | - Rudy Folkersma
- Circular
Plastics, NHL Stenden University of Applied
Sciences, Van Schaikweg 94, 7811 KL Emmen, The Netherlands
| | - Katja Loos
- Macromolecular
Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747
AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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11
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An Ultra-Sensitive Comamonas thiooxidans Biosensor for the Rapid Detection of Enzymatic Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Degradation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0160322. [PMID: 36507653 PMCID: PMC9888244 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01603-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a prevalent synthetic polymer that is known to contaminate marine and terrestrial environments. Currently, only a limited number of PET-active microorganisms and enzymes (PETases) are known. This is in part linked to the lack of highly sensitive function-based screening assays for PET-active enzymes. Here, we report on the construction of a fluorescent biosensor based on Comamonas thiooxidans strain S23. C. thiooxidans S23 transports and metabolizes TPA, one of the main breakdown products of PET, using a specific tripartite tricarboxylate transporter (TTT) and various mono- and dioxygenases encoded in its genome in a conserved operon ranging from tphC-tphA1. TphR, an IclR-type transcriptional regulator is found upstream of the tphC-tphA1 cluster where TPA induces transcription of tphC-tphA1 up to 88-fold in exponentially growing cells. In the present study, we show that the C. thiooxidans S23 wild-type strain, carrying the sfGFP gene fused to the tphC promoter, senses TPA at concentrations as low as 10 μM. Moreover, a deletion mutant lacking the catabolic genes involved in TPA degradation thphA2-A1 (ΔtphA2A3BA1) is up to 10,000-fold more sensitive and detects TPA concentrations in the nanomolar range. This is, to our knowledge, the most sensitive reporter strain for TPA and we demonstrate that it can be used for the detection of enzymatic PET breakdown products. IMPORTANCE Plastics and microplastics accumulate in all ecological niches. The construction of more sensitive biosensors allows to monitor and screen potential PET degradation in natural environments and industrial samples. These strains will also be a valuable tool for functional screenings of novel PETase candidates and variants or monitoring of PET recycling processes using biocatalysts. Thereby they help us to enrich the known biodiversity and efficiency of PET degrading organisms and enzymes and understand their contribution to environmental plastic degradation.
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Mudondo J, Lee HS, Jeong Y, Kim TH, Kim S, Sung BH, Park SH, Park K, Cha HG, Yeon YJ, Kim HT. Recent Advances in the Chemobiological Upcycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) into Value-Added Chemicals. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 33:1-14. [PMID: 36451300 PMCID: PMC9895998 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2208.08048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a plastic material commonly applied to beverage packaging used in everyday life. Owing to PET's versatility and ease of use, its consumption has continuously increased, resulting in considerable waste generation. Several physical and chemical recycling processes have been developed to address this problem. Recently, biological upcycling is being actively studied and has come to be regarded as a powerful technology for overcoming the economic issues associated with conventional recycling methods. For upcycling, PET should be degraded into small molecules, such as terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, which are utilized as substrates for bioconversion, through various degradation processes, including gasification, pyrolysis, and chemical/biological depolymerization. Furthermore, biological upcycling methods have been applied to biosynthesize value-added chemicals, such as adipic acid, muconic acid, catechol, vanillin, and glycolic acid. In this review, we introduce and discuss various degradation methods that yield substrates for bioconversion and biological upcycling processes to produce value-added biochemicals. These technologies encourage a circular economy, which reduces the amount of waste released into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Mudondo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoe-Suk Lee
- Department of Biochemical Engineering Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunhee Jeong
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hee Kim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungmi Kim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong Hyun Sung
- Synthetic Biology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - See-Hyoung Park
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Sejong 30016, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungmoon Park
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Sejong 30016, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Gil Cha
- Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea,Corresponding authors H.G. Cha Phone: +82-52-241-6317 Fax: +82-52-241-6349 E-mail:
| | - Young Joo Yeon
- Department of Biochemical Engineering Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea,Y.J. Yeon Phone: +82-33-640-2401 Fax: +82-33-640-2410 E-mail:
| | - Hee Taek Kim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea,H.T. Kim Phone: +82-42-821-6722 Fax:+82-42-821-8785 E-mail:
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Kalathil S, Miller M, Reisner E. Microbial Fermentation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Waste for the Production of Chemicals or Electricity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202211057. [PMID: 36103351 PMCID: PMC9828132 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202211057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ideonella sakaiensis (I. sakaiensis) can grow on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the major carbon and energy source. Previous work has shown that PET conversion in the presence of oxygen released carbon dioxide and water while yielding adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation. This study demonstrates that I. sakaiensis is a facultative anaerobe that ferments PET to the feedstock chemicals acetate and ethanol in the absence of oxygen. In addition to PET, the pure monomer ethylene glycol (EG), the intermediate product ethanol, and the carbohydrate fermentation test substance maltose can also serve as fermenting substrates. Co-culturing of I. sakaiensis with the electrogenic and acetate-consuming Geobacter sulfurreducens produced electricity from PET or EG. This newly identified plastic fermentation process by I. sakaiensis provides thus a novel biosynthetic route to produce high-value chemicals or electricity from plastic waste streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafeer Kalathil
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Melanie Miller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Erwin Reisner
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
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14
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Ali SS, Elsamahy T, Abdelkarim EA, Al-Tohamy R, Kornaros M, Ruiz HA, Zhao T, Li F, Sun J. Biowastes for biodegradable bioplastics production and end-of-life scenarios in circular bioeconomy and biorefinery concept. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 363:127869. [PMID: 36064080 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to global urbanization, industrialization, and economic development, biowastes generation represents negative consequences on the environment and human health. The use of generated biowastes as a feedstock for biodegradable bioplastic production has opened a new avenue for environmental sustainability from the circular (bio)economy standpoint. Biodegradable bioplastic production can contribute to the sustainability pillars (environmental, economic, and social). Furthermore, bioenergy, biomass, and biopolymers production after recycling of biodegradable bioplastic can help to maintain the energy-environment balance. Several types of biodegradable bioplastic, such as starch-based, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactic acid, and polybutylene adipate terephthalate, can achieve this aim. In this review, an overview of the main biowastes valorization routes and the main biodegradable bioplastic types of production, application, and biodegradability are discussed to achieve the transition to the circular economy. Additionally, end-of-life scenarios (up-cycle and down-cycle) are reviewed to attain the maximum environmental, social, and economic benefit from biodegradable bioplastic products under biorefinery concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameh S Ali
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
| | - Tamer Elsamahy
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Esraa A Abdelkarim
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Rania Al-Tohamy
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Michael Kornaros
- Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology (LBEET), Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 1 Karatheodori Str., University Campus, Patras 26504, Greece
| | - Héctor A Ruiz
- Biorefinery Group, Food Research Department, School of Chemistry, Autonomous University of Coahuila, Saltillo, Coahuila 25280, Mexico
| | - Tong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150090, China
| | - Fanghua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150090, China.
| | - Jianzhong Sun
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
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Tang KHD, Lock SSM, Yap PS, Cheah KW, Chan YH, Yiin CL, Ku AZE, Loy ACM, Chin BLF, Chai YH. Immobilized enzyme/microorganism complexes for degradation of microplastics: A review of recent advances, feasibility and future prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 832:154868. [PMID: 35358520 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Environmental prevalence of microplastics has prompted the development of novel methods for their removal, one of which involves immobilization of microplastics-degrading enzymes. Various materials including nanomaterials have been studied for this purpose but there is currently a lack of review to present these studies in an organized manner to highlight the advances and feasibility. This article reviewed more than 100 peer-reviewed scholarly papers to elucidate the latest advances in the novel application of immobilized enzyme/microorganism complexes for microplastics degradation, its feasibility and future prospects. This review shows that metal nanoparticle-enzyme complexes improve biodegradation of microplastics in most studies through creating photogenerated radicals to facilitate polymer oxidation, accelerating growth of bacterial consortia for biodegradation, anchoring enzymes and improving their stability, and absorbing water for hydrolysis. In a study, the antimicrobial property of nanoparticles retarded the growth of microorganisms, hence biodegradation. Carbon particle-enzyme complexes enable enzymes to be immobilized on carbon-based support or matrix through covalent bonding, adsorption, entrapment, encapsulation, and a combination of the mechanisms, facilitated by formation of cross-links between enzymes. These complexes were shown to improve microplastics-degrading efficiency and recyclability of enzymes. Other emerging nanoparticles and/or enzymatic technologies are fusion of enzymes with hydrophobins, polymer binding module, peptide and novel nanoparticles. Nonetheless, the enzymes in the complexes present a limiting factor due to limited understanding of the degradation mechanisms. Besides, there is a lack of studies on the degradation of polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. Genetic bioengineering and metagenomics could provide breakthrough in this area. This review highlights the optimism of using immobilized enzymes/microorganisms to increase the efficiency of microplastics degradation but optimization of enzymatic or microbial activities and synthesis of immobilized enzymes/microorganisms are crucial to overcome the barriers to their wide application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuok Ho Daniel Tang
- Environmental Science Program, Division of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai 519087, China.
| | - Serene Sow Mun Lock
- CO2 Research Center (CO2RES), Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Malaysia
| | - Pow-Seng Yap
- Department of Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Kin Wai Cheah
- Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Yi Herng Chan
- PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB), Lot 3288 & 3289, Off Jalan Ayer Itam, Kawasan Institusi Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chung Loong Yiin
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Andrian Zi En Ku
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Adrian Chun Minh Loy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Bridgid Lai Fui Chin
- Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, CDT 250, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Yee Ho Chai
- HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia
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16
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García JL. Enzymatic recycling of polyethylene terephthalate through the lens of proprietary processes. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:2699-2704. [PMID: 35857573 PMCID: PMC9618317 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- José L García
- Department of Microbial and Plant Biotechnology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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17
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Rana AK, Thakur MK, Saini AK, Mokhta SK, Moradi O, Rydzkowski T, Alsanie WF, Wang Q, Grammatikos S, Thakur VK. Recent developments in microbial degradation of polypropylene: Integrated approaches towards a sustainable environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:154056. [PMID: 35231525 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fossil-fuel-based plastics have many enticing properties, but their production has resulted in significant environmental issues that require immediate attention. Despite the fact that these polymers are manmade, some bacteria can degrade and metabolise them, suggesting that biotechnologies based on the principle of plastic biodegradation could be beneficial. Among different types of plastics, polypropylene (PP), either having low or high density, is one of the most consumed plastics (18.85%). Their debasement under natural conditions is somewhat tricky. Still, their debasement under natural conditions is rather difficult slightly. However, different scientists have still made efforts by employing other microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and guts bacteria of larvae of insects to bio-deteriorate the PP plastic. Pre-irradiation techniques (ultraviolet and gamma irradiations), compatibilizers, and bio-additives (natural fibers, starch, and polylactic acid) have been found to impact percent bio-deterioration of different PP derivatives stronglythe various. The fungal and bacterial study showed that PP macro/microplastic might serve as an energy source and sole carbon during bio-degradation. Generally, gravimetric method or physical characterization techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, etc., are utilized to affirm the bio-degradation of PP plastics-based materials. However, these techniques are not enough to warrant the bio-deterioration of PP. In this regard, a new technique approach that measures the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during bacterial or fungus degradation has also been discussed. In addition, further exploration is needed on novel isolates from plastisphere environments, sub-atomic strategies to describe plastic-debasing microorganisms and improve enzymatic action strategies, and omics-based innovations to speed up plastic waste bio-deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manju Kumari Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, Govt. Degree College Sarkaghat, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla 171005, India
| | - Adesh Kumar Saini
- Department of Biotechnology, MMEC, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana 133207, India.
| | - Sudesh Kumar Mokhta
- Department of Environment, Science & Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh, 171001, India
| | - Omid Moradi
- Faculty of Science, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Tomasz Rydzkowski
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, Raclawicka Str. 15-17, 75-620 Koszalin, Poland.
| | - Walaa F Alsanie
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, The Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Sotirios Grammatikos
- Laboratory of Advanced & Sustainable Engineering Materials (ASEMlab), Group of Sustainable Composites, Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gjøvik 2815, Norway
| | - Vijay Kumar Thakur
- Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, SRUC, Edinburgh, UK; School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun 248007, India.
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Brandenberg OF, Schubert OT, Kruglyak L. Towards synthetic PETtrophy: Engineering Pseudomonas putida for concurrent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monomer metabolism and PET hydrolase expression. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:119. [PMID: 35717313 PMCID: PMC9206389 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01849-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biocatalysis offers a promising path for plastic waste management and valorization, especially for hydrolysable plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Microbial whole-cell biocatalysts for simultaneous PET degradation and growth on PET monomers would offer a one-step solution toward PET recycling or upcycling. We set out to engineer the industry-proven bacterium Pseudomonas putida for (i) metabolism of PET monomers as sole carbon sources, and (ii) efficient extracellular expression of PET hydrolases. We pursued this approach for both PET and the related polyester polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT), aiming to learn about the determinants and potential applications of bacterial polyester-degrading biocatalysts. RESULTS P. putida was engineered to metabolize the PET and PBAT monomer terephthalic acid (TA) through genomic integration of four tphII operon genes from Comamonas sp. E6. Efficient cellular TA uptake was enabled by a point mutation in the native P. putida membrane transporter MhpT. Metabolism of the PET and PBAT monomers ethylene glycol and 1,4-butanediol was achieved through adaptive laboratory evolution. We then used fast design-build-test-learn cycles to engineer extracellular PET hydrolase expression, including tests of (i) the three PET hydrolases LCC, HiC, and IsPETase; (ii) genomic versus plasmid-based expression, using expression plasmids with high, medium, and low cellular copy number; (iii) three different promoter systems; (iv) three membrane anchor proteins for PET hydrolase cell surface display; and (v) a 30-mer signal peptide library for PET hydrolase secretion. PET hydrolase surface display and secretion was successfully engineered but often resulted in host cell fitness costs, which could be mitigated by promoter choice and altering construct copy number. Plastic biodegradation assays with the best PET hydrolase expression constructs genomically integrated into our monomer-metabolizing P. putida strains resulted in various degrees of plastic depolymerization, although self-sustaining bacterial growth remained elusive. CONCLUSION Our results show that balancing extracellular PET hydrolase expression with cellular fitness under nutrient-limiting conditions is a challenge. The precise knowledge of such bottlenecks, together with the vast array of PET hydrolase expression tools generated and tested here, may serve as a baseline for future efforts to engineer P. putida or other bacterial hosts towards becoming efficient whole-cell polyester-degrading biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver F Brandenberg
- Department of Human Genetics, Department of Biological Chemistry, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Olga T Schubert
- Department of Human Genetics, Department of Biological Chemistry, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.,Department of Environmental Microbiology, EAWAG, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Leonid Kruglyak
- Department of Human Genetics, Department of Biological Chemistry, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.
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19
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Barcoto MO, Rodrigues A. Lessons From Insect Fungiculture: From Microbial Ecology to Plastics Degradation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:812143. [PMID: 35685924 PMCID: PMC9171207 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.812143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have extensively transformed the biosphere by extracting and disposing of resources, crossing boundaries of planetary threat while causing a global crisis of waste overload. Despite fundamental differences regarding structure and recalcitrance, lignocellulose and plastic polymers share physical-chemical properties to some extent, that include carbon skeletons with similar chemical bonds, hydrophobic properties, amorphous and crystalline regions. Microbial strategies for metabolizing recalcitrant polymers have been selected and optimized through evolution, thus understanding natural processes for lignocellulose modification could aid the challenge of dealing with the recalcitrant human-made polymers spread worldwide. We propose to look for inspiration in the charismatic fungal-growing insects to understand multipartite degradation of plant polymers. Independently evolved in diverse insect lineages, fungiculture embraces passive or active fungal cultivation for food, protection, and structural purposes. We consider there is much to learn from these symbioses, in special from the community-level degradation of recalcitrant biomass and defensive metabolites. Microbial plant-degrading systems at the core of insect fungicultures could be promising candidates for degrading synthetic plastics. Here, we first compare the degradation of lignocellulose and plastic polymers, with emphasis in the overlapping microbial players and enzymatic activities between these processes. Second, we review the literature on diverse insect fungiculture systems, focusing on features that, while supporting insects' ecology and evolution, could also be applied in biotechnological processes. Third, taking lessons from these microbial communities, we suggest multidisciplinary strategies to identify microbial degraders, degrading enzymes and pathways, as well as microbial interactions and interdependencies. Spanning from multiomics to spectroscopy, microscopy, stable isotopes probing, enrichment microcosmos, and synthetic communities, these strategies would allow for a systemic understanding of the fungiculture ecology, driving to application possibilities. Detailing how the metabolic landscape is entangled to achieve ecological success could inspire sustainable efforts for mitigating the current environmental crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana O. Barcoto
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Andre Rodrigues
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
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20
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Gao R, Pan H, Kai L, Han K, Lian J. Microbial degradation and valorization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) monomers. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:89. [PMID: 35426614 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03270-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the major plastics with a huge annual production. Alongside with its mass production and wide applications, PET pollution is threatening and damaging the environment and human health. Although mechanical or chemical methods can deal with PET, the process suffers from high cost and the hydrolyzed monomers will cause secondary pollution. Discovery of plastic-degrading microbes and the corresponding enzymes emerges new hope to cope with this issue. Combined with synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, microbial cell factories not only provide a promising approach to degrade PET, but also enable the conversion of its monomers, ethylene glycol (EG) and terephthalic acid (TPA), into value-added compounds. In this way, PET wastes can be handled in environment-friendly and more potentially cost-effective processes. While PET hydrolases have been extensively reviewed, this review focuses on the microbes and metabolic pathways for the degradation of PET monomers. In addition, recent advances in the biotransformation of TPA and EG into value-added compounds are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China.,Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haojie Pan
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Kai
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, 22116, Xuzhou, China.,Jiangsu Keybio Co. LTD, 22116, Xuzhou, China
| | - Kun Han
- Jiangsu Keybio Co. LTD, 22116, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. .,Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China.
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21
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Purification of high-temperature resistant polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolase by simple heating protocol. Process Biochem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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22
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Han P, Teo WZ, Yew WS. Biologically engineered microbes for bioremediation of electronic waste: Wayposts, challenges and future directions. ENGINEERING BIOLOGY 2022; 6:23-34. [PMID: 36968558 PMCID: PMC9995160 DOI: 10.1049/enb2.12020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the face of a burgeoning stream of e-waste globally, e-waste recycling becomes increasingly imperative, not only to mitigate the environmental and health risks it poses but also as an urban mining strategy for resource recovery of precious metals, rare Earth elements, and even plastics. As part of the continual efforts to develop greener alternatives to conventional approaches of e-waste recycling, biologically assisted degradation of e-waste offers a promising recourse by capitalising on certain microorganisms' innate ability to interact with metals or degrade plastics. By harnessing emerging genetic tools in synthetic biology, the evolution of novel or enhanced capabilities needed to advance bioremediation and resource recovery could be potentially accelerated by improving enzyme catalytic abilities, modifying substrate specificities, and increasing toxicity tolerance. Yet, the management of e-waste presents formidable challenges due to its massive volume, high component complexity, and associated toxicity. Several limitations will need to be addressed before nascent laboratory-scale achievements in bioremediation can be translated to viable industrial applications. Nonetheless, vested groups, involving both start-up and established companies, have taken visionary steps towards deploying microbes for commercial implementation in e-waste recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Han
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological InnovationNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research ProgrammeYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of BiochemistryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Wei Zhe Teo
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological InnovationNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research ProgrammeYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of BiochemistryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Wen Shan Yew
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological InnovationNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research ProgrammeYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of BiochemistryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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23
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Soong YHV, Sobkowicz MJ, Xie D. Recent Advances in Biological Recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Wastes. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:98. [PMID: 35324787 PMCID: PMC8945055 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9030098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most commonly used polyester plastics worldwide but is extremely difficult to be hydrolyzed in a natural environment. PET plastic is an inexpensive, lightweight, and durable material, which can readily be molded into an assortment of products that are used in a broad range of applications. Most PET is used for single-use packaging materials, such as disposable consumer items and packaging. Although PET plastics are a valuable resource in many aspects, the proliferation of plastic products in the last several decades have resulted in a negative environmental footprint. The long-term risk of released PET waste in the environment poses a serious threat to ecosystems, food safety, and even human health in modern society. Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts. Current clean-up strategies have attempted to alleviate the adverse impacts of PET pollution but are unable to compete with the increasing quantities of PET waste exposed to the environment. In this review paper, current PET recycling methods to improve life cycle and waste management are discussed, which can be further implemented to reduce plastics pollution and its impacts on health and environment. Compared with conventional mechanical and chemical recycling processes, the biotechnological recycling of PET involves enzymatic degradation of the waste PET and the followed bioconversion of degraded PET monomers into value-added chemicals. This approach creates a circular PET economy by recycling waste PET or upcycling it into more valuable products with minimal environmental footprint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hue Valerie Soong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA;
| | - Margaret J. Sobkowicz
- Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA;
| | - Dongming Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA;
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24
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Abstract
Large-scale worldwide production of plastics requires the use of large quantities of fossil fuels, leading to a negative impact on the environment. If the production of plastic continues to increase at the current rate, the industry will account for one fifth of global oil use by 2050. Bioplastics currently represent less than one percent of total plastic produced, but they are expected to increase in the coming years, due to rising demand. The usage of bioplastics would allow the dependence on fossil fuels to be reduced and could represent an opportunity to add some interesting functionalities to the materials. Moreover, the plastics derived from bio-based resources are more carbon-neutral and their manufacture generates a lower amount of greenhouse gasses. The substitution of conventional plastic with renewable plastic will therefore promote a more sustainable economy, society, and environment. Consequently, more and more studies have been focusing on the production of interesting bio-based building blocks for bioplastics. However, a coherent review of the contribution of fermentation technology to a more sustainable plastic production is yet to be carried out. Here, we present the recent advancement in bioplastic production and describe the possible integration of bio-based monomers as renewable precursors. Representative examples of both published and commercial fermentation processes are discussed.
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25
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Miri S, Saini R, Davoodi SM, Pulicharla R, Brar SK, Magdouli S. Biodegradation of microplastics: Better late than never. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131670. [PMID: 34351281 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plastics use is growing due to its applications in the economy, human health and aesthetics. The major plastic particles in the form of microplastics (MPs) released into the environment are made up of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Tremendous usage and continuous accumulation of MPs in the environment pose a global threat to ecosystems and human health. The current knowledge of biotechnological, aerobic and aerobic biodegradation approaches emphasizes the microbial culture's potential towards MPs removal. This review selectively provides recent biotechnological advances such as biostimulation, bioaugmentation and enzymatic biodegradation that can be applied for MPs removal by biodegradation and bioaccumulation. This review summarizes the knowledge and the research exploration on the biodegradation of synthetic organic MPs with different biodegradability. However, further research is still needed to understand the underlying mechanism of MPs biodegradation in soil and water systems, leading to the development of an effective method for MPs removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Miri
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada; Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Eau, Terre et Environnement, 490, Rue de La Couronne, Québec, G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Rahul Saini
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Seyyed Mohammadreza Davoodi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada; Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Eau, Terre et Environnement, 490, Rue de La Couronne, Québec, G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Rama Pulicharla
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Satinder Kaur Brar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada; Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Eau, Terre et Environnement, 490, Rue de La Couronne, Québec, G1K 9A9, Canada.
| | - Sara Magdouli
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
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26
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Chattopadhyay I. Role of microbiome and biofilm in environmental plastic degradation. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2021.102263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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27
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Qi X, Yan W, Cao Z, Ding M, Yuan Y. Current Advances in the Biodegradation and Bioconversion of Polyethylene Terephthalate. Microorganisms 2021; 10:39. [PMID: 35056486 PMCID: PMC8779501 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used plastic that is polymerized by terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). In recent years, PET biodegradation and bioconversion have become important in solving environmental plastic pollution. More and more PET hydrolases have been discovered and modified, which mainly act on and degrade the ester bond of PET. The monomers, TPA and EG, can be further utilized by microorganisms, entering the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) or being converted into high value chemicals, and finally realizing the biodegradation and bioconversion of PET. Based on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies, this review summarizes the current advances in the modified PET hydrolases, engineered microbial chassis in degrading PET, bioconversion pathways of PET monomers, and artificial microbial consortia in PET biodegradation and bioconversion. Artificial microbial consortium provides novel ideas for the biodegradation and bioconversion of PET or other complex polymers. It is helpful to realize the one-step bioconversion of PET into high value chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Qi
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (X.Q.); (W.Y.); (Z.C.); (Y.Y.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wenlong Yan
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (X.Q.); (W.Y.); (Z.C.); (Y.Y.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhibei Cao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (X.Q.); (W.Y.); (Z.C.); (Y.Y.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Mingzhu Ding
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (X.Q.); (W.Y.); (Z.C.); (Y.Y.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yingjin Yuan
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (X.Q.); (W.Y.); (Z.C.); (Y.Y.)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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28
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Tiso T, Winter B, Wei R, Hee J, de Witt J, Wierckx N, Quicker P, Bornscheuer UT, Bardow A, Nogales J, Blank LM. The metabolic potential of plastics as biotechnological carbon sources - Review and targets for the future. Metab Eng 2021; 71:77-98. [PMID: 34952231 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The plastic crisis requires drastic measures, especially for the plastics' end-of-life. Mixed plastic fractions are currently difficult to recycle, but microbial metabolism might open new pathways. With new technologies for degradation of plastics to oligo- and monomers, these carbon sources can be used in biotechnology for the upcycling of plastic waste to valuable products, such as bioplastics and biosurfactants. We briefly summarize well-known monomer degradation pathways and computed their theoretical yields for industrially interesting products. With this information in hand, we calculated replacement scenarios of existing fossil-based synthesis routes for the same products. Thereby, we highlight fossil-based products for which plastic monomers might be attractive alternative carbon sources. Notably, not the highest yield of product on substrate of the biochemical route, but rather the (in-)efficiency of the petrochemical routes (i.e., carbon, energy use) determines the potential of biochemical plastic upcycling. Our results might serve as a guide for future metabolic engineering efforts towards a sustainable plastic economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Tiso
- Institute of Applied Microbiology - iAMB, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology - ABBt, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Benedikt Winter
- Energy & Process Systems Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Ren Wei
- Department of Biotechnology and Enzyme Catalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Johann Hee
- Unit of Technology of Fuels, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jan de Witt
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Nick Wierckx
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Peter Quicker
- Unit of Technology of Fuels, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Uwe T Bornscheuer
- Department of Biotechnology and Enzyme Catalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - André Bardow
- Energy & Process Systems Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen University, Germany; Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK 10), Research Center Jülich GmbH, Germany
| | - Juan Nogales
- Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics Towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lars M Blank
- Institute of Applied Microbiology - iAMB, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology - ABBt, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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29
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Abstract
Abstract
The serious issue of textile waste accumulation has raised attention on biodegradability as a possible route to support sustainable consumption of textile fibers. However, synthetic textile fibers that dominate the market, especially poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), resist biological degradation, creating environmental and waste management challenges. Because pure natural fibers, like cotton, both perform well for consumer textiles and generally meet certain standardized biodegradability criteria, inspiration from the mechanisms involved in natural biodegradability are leading to new discoveries and developments in biologically accelerated textile waste remediation for both natural and synthetic fibers. The objective of this review is to present a multidisciplinary perspective on the essential bio-chemo-physical requirements for textile materials to undergo biodegradation, taking into consideration the impact of environmental or waste management process conditions on biodegradability outcomes. Strategies and recent progress in enhancing synthetic textile fiber biodegradability are reviewed, with emphasis on performance and biodegradability behavior of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as an alternative biobased, biodegradable apparel textile fiber, and on biological strategies for addressing PET waste, including industrial enzymatic hydrolysis to generate recyclable monomers. Notably, while pure PET fibers do not biodegrade within the timeline of any standardized conditions, recent developments with process intensification and engineered enzymes show that higher enzymatic recycling efficiency for PET polymer has been achieved compared to cellulosic materials. Furthermore, combined with alternative waste management practices, such as composting, anaerobic digestion and biocatalyzed industrial reprocessing, the development of synthetic/natural fiber blends and other strategies are creating opportunities for new biodegradable and recyclable textile fibers.
Article Highlights
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) leads other synthetic textile fibers in meeting both performance and biodegradation criteria.
Recent research with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymer shows potential for efficient enzyme catalyzed industrial recycling.
Synthetic/natural fiber blends and other strategies could open opportunities for new biodegradable and recyclable textile fibers.
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30
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Sarda P, Hanan JC, Lawrence JG, Allahkarami M. Sustainability performance of polyethylene terephthalate, clarifying challenges and opportunities. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Parikshit Sarda
- Polymer Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering University of Toledo Toledo Ohio USA
| | - Jay C. Hanan
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Oklahoma State University Tulsa Oklahoma USA
| | - Joseph G. Lawrence
- Polymer Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering University of Toledo Toledo Ohio USA
| | - Masoud Allahkarami
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Oklahoma State University Tulsa Oklahoma USA
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31
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Narancic T, Salvador M, Hughes GM, Beagan N, Abdulmutalib U, Kenny ST, Wu H, Saccomanno M, Um J, O'Connor KE, Jiménez JI. Genome analysis of the metabolically versatile Pseudomonas umsongensis GO16: the genetic basis for PET monomer upcycling into polyhydroxyalkanoates. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2463-2480. [PMID: 33404203 PMCID: PMC8601165 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The throwaway culture related to the single-use materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has created a major environmental concern. Recycling of PET waste into biodegradable plastic polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) creates an opportunity to improve resource efficiency and contribute to a circular economy. We sequenced the genome of Pseudomonas umsongensis GO16 previously shown to convert PET-derived terephthalic acid (TA) into PHA and performed an in-depth genome analysis. GO16 can degrade a range of aromatic substrates in addition to TA, due to the presence of a catabolic plasmid pENK22. The genetic complement required for the degradation of TA via protocatechuate was identified and its functionality was confirmed by transferring the tph operon into Pseudomonas putida KT2440, which is unable to utilize TA naturally. We also identified the genes involved in ethylene glycol (EG) metabolism, the second PET monomer, and validated the capacity of GO16 to use EG as a sole source of carbon and energy. Moreover, GO16 possesses genes for the synthesis of both medium and short chain length PHA and we have demonstrated the capacity of the strain to convert mixed TA and EG into PHA. The metabolic versatility of GO16 highlights the potential of this organism for biotransformations using PET waste as a feedstock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Narancic
- BiOrbic – Bioeconomy Research CentreUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
- UCD Earth Institute and School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - Manuel Salvador
- Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordGU2 7XHUK
| | - Graham M. Hughes
- UCD Earth Institute and School of Biology and Environmental ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - Niall Beagan
- BiOrbic – Bioeconomy Research CentreUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - Umar Abdulmutalib
- Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordGU2 7XHUK
| | - Shane T. Kenny
- Bioplastech Ltd.NovaUCD, Belfield Innovation ParkUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - Huihai Wu
- Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordGU2 7XHUK
| | - Marta Saccomanno
- BiOrbic – Bioeconomy Research CentreUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - Jounghyun Um
- UCD Earth Institute and School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - Kevin E. O'Connor
- BiOrbic – Bioeconomy Research CentreUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
- UCD Earth Institute and School of Biomolecular and Biomedical ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin4Ireland
| | - José I. Jiménez
- Faculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordGU2 7XHUK
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonLondonSW7 2AZUK
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32
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Gautom T, Dheeman D, Levy C, Butterfield T, Alvarez Gonzalez G, Le Roy P, Caiger L, Fisher K, Johannissen L, Dixon N. Structural basis of terephthalate recognition by solute binding protein TphC. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6244. [PMID: 34716322 PMCID: PMC8556258 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26508-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological degradation of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and assimilation of the corresponding monomers ethylene glycol and terephthalate (TPA) into central metabolism offers an attractive route for bio-based molecular recycling and bioremediation applications. A key step is the cellular uptake of the non-permeable TPA into bacterial cells which has been shown to be dependent upon the presence of the key tphC gene. However, little is known from a biochemical and structural perspective about the encoded solute binding protein, TphC. Here, we report the biochemical and structural characterisation of TphC in both open and TPA-bound closed conformations. This analysis demonstrates the narrow ligand specificity of TphC towards aromatic para-substituted dicarboxylates, such as TPA and closely related analogues. Further phylogenetic and genomic context analysis of the tph genes reveals homologous operons as a genetic resource for future biotechnological and metabolic engineering efforts towards circular plastic bio-economy solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trishnamoni Gautom
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India
- Royal School of Bio-Sciences, Royal Global University, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Dharmendra Dheeman
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Colin Levy
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Thomas Butterfield
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Guadalupe Alvarez Gonzalez
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Philip Le Roy
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Lewis Caiger
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Karl Fisher
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Linus Johannissen
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Neil Dixon
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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33
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Kawai F. Emerging Strategies in Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolase Research for Biorecycling. CHEMSUSCHEM 2021; 14:4115-4122. [PMID: 33949146 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202100740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The research on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolyzing enzymes started in 2005; several studies are now nearing the objective of their application in biorecycling of PET, which is an urgent environmental issue. The thermostability of PET hydrolases must be higher than 70 °C, which has already been established by several thermophilic cutinases, as higher thermostability results in higher activity. Additionally, pretreatment of waste PET to more enzyme-attackable forms is necessary for PET biorecycling. This Minireview summarizes research on enzymatic PET hydrolysis from two viewpoints: 1) improvement of PET hydrolases by focusing on their thermostabilities by mutation of enzyme genes, their expression in several hosts, and their modifications; and 2) processing of waste PET to readily biodegradable forms. Finally, the outlook of PET biorecycling is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusako Kawai
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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34
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Moyses DN, Teixeira DA, Waldow VA, Freire DMG, Castro AM. Fungal and enzymatic bio-depolymerization of waste post-consumer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottles using Penicillium species. 3 Biotech 2021; 11:435. [PMID: 34603913 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02988-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a petroleum-based plastic that is massively produced and used worldwide. A promising PET recycling process to circumvent petroleum feedstock consumption and help to reduce environmental pollution is microbial or enzymatic biodegradation of post-consumer (PC) PET packages to its monomers-terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG)-or to key intermediates in PET synthesis-such as mono- and bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET and BHET). Two species of filamentous fungi previously characterized as lipase producers (Penicillium restrictum and P. simplicissimum) were evaluated in submerged fermentation for induction of lipase production by two inducers (BHET and amorphous PET), and for biodegradation of two substrates (BHET and PC-PET). BHET induced lipase production in P. simplicissimum, achieving a peak of 606.4 U/L at 49 h (12.38 U/L.h), representing an almost twofold increase in comparison to the highest peak in the control (without inducers). Microbial biodegradation by P. simplicissimum after 28 days led to a 3.09% mass loss on PC-PET fragments. In contrast, enzymatic PC-PET depolymerization by cell-free filtrates from a P. simplicissimum culture resulted in low concentrations of BHET, MHET and TPA (up to 9.51 µmol/L), suggesting that there are mechanisms at the organism level that enhance biodegradation. Enzymatic BHET hydrolysis revealed that P. simplicissimum extracellular enzymes catalyze the release of MHET as the predominant product. Our results show that P. simplicissimum is a promising biodegrader of PC-PET that can be further explored for monomer recovery in the context of feedstock recycling processes.
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35
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Gao R, Pan H, Lian J. Recent advances in the discovery, characterization, and engineering of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) hydrolases. Enzyme Microb Technol 2021; 150:109868. [PMID: 34489027 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2021.109868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a class of polyester plastic composed of terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). The accumulation of large amount of PET waste has resulted in severe environmental and health problems. Microbial polyester hydrolases with the ability to degrade PET provide an economy- and environment-friendly approach for the treatment of PET waste. In recent years, many PET hydrolases have been discovered and characterized from various microorganisms and engineered for better performance under practical application conditions. Here, recent progress in the discovery, characterization, and enzymatic mechanism elucidation of PET hydrolases is firstly reviewed. Then, structure-guided protein engineering of PET hydrolases with increased enzymatic activities, expanded substrate specificity, as well as improved protein stability is summarized. In addition, strategies for efficient expression of recombinant PET hydrolases, including secretory expression and cell-surface display, are briefly introduced. This review is concluded with future perspectives in biodegradation and subsequent biotransformation of PET wastes to produce value-added compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Haojie Pan
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China; Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
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Sid S, Mor RS, Kishore A, Sharanagat VS. Bio-sourced polymers as alternatives to conventional food packaging materials: A review. Trends Food Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Damayanti D, Supriyadi D, Amelia D, Saputri DR, Devi YLL, Auriyani WA, Wu HS. Conversion of Lignocellulose for Bioethanol Production, Applied in Bio-Polyethylene Terephthalate. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:2886. [PMID: 34502925 PMCID: PMC8433819 DOI: 10.3390/polym13172886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing demand for petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) grows population impacts daily. A greener and more sustainable raw material, lignocellulose, is a promising replacement of petroleum-based raw materials to convert into bio-PET. This paper reviews the recent development of lignocellulose conversion into bio-PET through bioethanol reaction pathways. This review addresses lignocellulose properties, bioethanol production processes, separation processes of bioethanol, and the production of bio-terephthalic acid and bio-polyethylene terephthalate. The article also discusses the current industries that manufacture alcohol-based raw materials for bio-PET or bio-PET products. In the future, the production of bio-PET from biomass will increase due to the scarcity of petroleum-based raw materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damayanti Damayanti
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chung-Li, Taoyuan 32003, Taiwan;
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Kec. Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, Lampung 35365, Indonesia; (D.S.); (D.A.); (D.R.S.); (Y.L.L.D.); (W.A.A.)
| | - Didik Supriyadi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Kec. Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, Lampung 35365, Indonesia; (D.S.); (D.A.); (D.R.S.); (Y.L.L.D.); (W.A.A.)
| | - Devita Amelia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Kec. Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, Lampung 35365, Indonesia; (D.S.); (D.A.); (D.R.S.); (Y.L.L.D.); (W.A.A.)
| | - Desi Riana Saputri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Kec. Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, Lampung 35365, Indonesia; (D.S.); (D.A.); (D.R.S.); (Y.L.L.D.); (W.A.A.)
| | - Yuniar Luthfia Listya Devi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Kec. Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, Lampung 35365, Indonesia; (D.S.); (D.A.); (D.R.S.); (Y.L.L.D.); (W.A.A.)
| | - Wika Atro Auriyani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Kec. Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, Lampung 35365, Indonesia; (D.S.); (D.A.); (D.R.S.); (Y.L.L.D.); (W.A.A.)
| | - Ho Shing Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chung-Li, Taoyuan 32003, Taiwan;
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Carniel A, Waldow VDA, Castro AMD. A comprehensive and critical review on key elements to implement enzymatic PET depolymerization for recycling purposes. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 52:107811. [PMID: 34333090 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Plastics production and recycling chains must be refitted to a circular economy. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is especially suitable for recycling because of its hydrolysable ester bonds and high environmental impact due to employment in single-use packaging, so that recycling processes utilizing enzymes are a promising biotechnological route to monomer recovery. However, enzymatic PET depolymerization still faces challenges to become a competitive route at an industrial level. In this review, PET characteristics as a substrate for enzymes are discussed, as well as the analytical methods used to evaluate the reaction progress. A comprehensive view on the biocatalysts used is discussed. Subsequently, different strategies pursued to improve enzymatic PET depolymerization are presented, including enzyme modification through mutagenesis, utilization of multiple enzymes, improvement of the interaction between enzymes and the hydrophobic surface of PET, and various reaction conditions (e.g., particle size, reaction medium, agitation, and additives). All scientific developments regarding these different aspects of PET depolymerization are crucial to offer a scalable and competitive technology. However, they must be integrated into global processes from upstream to downstream, discussed here at the final sections, which must be evaluated for their economic feasibility and life cycle assessment to check if PET recycling chains can be broadly incorporated into the future circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Carniel
- School of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) - Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ CEP 21949-900, Brazil
| | - Vinicius de Abreu Waldow
- Petrobras Research, Development and Innovation Center (Cenpes), Av. Horácio Macedo, n° 950 - Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ CEP 21941-915, Brazil
| | - Aline Machado de Castro
- Petrobras Research, Development and Innovation Center (Cenpes), Av. Horácio Macedo, n° 950 - Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ CEP 21941-915, Brazil.
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Ellis LD, Rorrer NA, Sullivan KP, Otto M, McGeehan JE, Román-Leshkov Y, Wierckx N, Beckham GT. Chemical and biological catalysis for plastics recycling and upcycling. Nat Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-021-00648-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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40
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kakadellis
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London SW7 1NE, UK.
| | - Gloria Rosetto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
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41
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Yeom SJ, Le TK, Yun CH. P450-driven plastic-degrading synthetic bacteria. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 40:166-179. [PMID: 34243985 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Plastic contamination currently threatens a wide variety of ecosystems and presents damaging repercussions and negative consequences for many wildlife species. Sustainable plastic waste management is an important approach to environmental protection and a necessity in the current life cycle of plastics in nature. Plastic biodegradation by microorganisms is a notable possible solution. This opinion article includes a proposal to use hypothetical P450 enzymes with an engineered active site as potent trigger biocatalysts to biodegrade polyethylene (PE) via in-chain hydroxylation into smaller products of linear aliphatic alcohols and alkanoic acids based on cascade enzymatic reactions. Furthermore, we propose the adoption of P450 into plastic-eating synthetic bacteria for PE biodegradation. This strategy can be applicable to other dense plastics, such as polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-Jin Yeom
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Thien-Kim Le
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Chul-Ho Yun
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
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42
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Sadler JC, Wallace S. Microbial synthesis of vanillin from waste poly(ethylene terephthalate). GREEN CHEMISTRY : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AND GREEN CHEMISTRY RESOURCE : GC 2021; 23:4665-4672. [PMID: 34276250 PMCID: PMC8256426 DOI: 10.1039/d1gc00931a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is an abundant and extremely useful material, with widespread applications across society. However, there is an urgent need to develop technologies to valorise post-consumer PET waste to tackle plastic pollution and move towards a circular economy. Whilst PET degradation and recycling technologies have been reported, examples focus on repurposing the resultant monomers to produce more PET or other second-generation materials. Herein, we report a novel pathway in engineered Escherichia coli for the direct upcycling of PET derived monomer terephthalic acid into the value-added small molecule vanillin, a flavour compound ubiquitous in the food and cosmetic industries, and an important bulk chemical. After process optimisation, 79% conversion to vanillin from TA was achieved, a 157-fold improvement over our initial conditions. Parameters such as temperature, cell permeabilisation and in situ product removal were key to maximising vanillin titres. Finally, we demonstrate the conversion of post-consumer PET from a plastic bottle into vanillin by coupling the pathway with enzyme-catalysed PET hydrolysis. This work demonstrates the first biological upcycling of post-consumer plastic waste into vanillin using an engineered microorganism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna C Sadler
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh Roger Land Building Alexander Crum Brown Road King's Buildings Edinburgh EH9 3FF UK
| | - Stephen Wallace
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh Roger Land Building Alexander Crum Brown Road King's Buildings Edinburgh EH9 3FF UK
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43
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Dissanayake L, Jayakody LN. Engineering Microbes to Bio-Upcycle Polyethylene Terephthalate. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:656465. [PMID: 34124018 PMCID: PMC8193722 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.656465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is globally the largest produced aromatic polyester with an annual production exceeding 50 million metric tons. PET can be mechanically and chemically recycled; however, the extra costs in chemical recycling are not justified when converting PET back to the original polymer, which leads to less than 30% of PET produced annually to be recycled. Hence, waste PET massively contributes to plastic pollution and damaging the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The global energy and environmental concerns with PET highlight a clear need for technologies in PET "upcycling," the creation of higher-value products from reclaimed PET. Several microbes that degrade PET and corresponding PET hydrolase enzymes have been successfully identified. The characterization and engineering of these enzymes to selectively depolymerize PET into original monomers such as terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol have been successful. Synthetic microbiology and metabolic engineering approaches enable the development of efficient microbial cell factories to convert PET-derived monomers into value-added products. In this mini-review, we present the recent progress of engineering microbes to produce higher-value chemical building blocks from waste PET using a wholly biological and a hybrid chemocatalytic-biological strategy. We also highlight the potent metabolic pathways to bio-upcycle PET into high-value biotransformed molecules. The new synthetic microbes will help establish the circular materials economy, alleviate the adverse energy and environmental impacts of PET, and provide market incentives for PET reclamation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshika Dissanayake
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, United States
| | - Lahiru N. Jayakody
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, United States
- Fermentation Science Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, United States
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44
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García-Depraect O, Bordel S, Lebrero R, Santos-Beneit F, Börner RA, Börner T, Muñoz R. Inspired by nature: Microbial production, degradation and valorization of biodegradable bioplastics for life-cycle-engineered products. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 53:107772. [PMID: 34015389 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The global environmental pollution by micro- and macro-plastics reveals the consequences of an extensive use of recalcitrant plastic products together with inappropriate waste management practices that fail to sufficiently recycle the broad types of conventional plastic waste. Biobased and biodegradable plastics are experiencing an uprising as their properties offer alternative waste management solutions for a more circular material economy. However, although the production of such bioplastics has advanced on scale, the end-of-life (EOL) (bio)technologies to promote circularity are lacking behind. While composting and biogas plants are the only managed EOL options today, advanced biotechnological recycling technologies for biodegradable bioplastics are still in an embryonic stage. Thus, developing efficient biotechnologies capable of transforming bioplastic waste into high-value chemical building blocks or into the constituents of the original polymer offers promising routes towards life-cycle-engineered products. This review aims at providing a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of microbial-based processes involved in the complete lifecycle of bioplastics. The current trends in the bioplastic market, the beginning and EOL scenarios of bioplastics, and a critical discussion on the key factors and mechanisms governing microbial degradation are systematically presented. Also, a critical evaluation of terminology and international standards to quantify polymer biodegradability is provided together with the latest biotechnological recycling strategies, including the use of different pre-treatments for (bio)plastic waste. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives for the development of life-cycle-engineered biobased and biodegradable plastic products are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Octavio García-Depraect
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sergio Bordel
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Raquel Lebrero
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos-Beneit
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Rosa Aragão Börner
- Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Route du Jorat 57, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tim Börner
- Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Route du Jorat 57, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Raúl Muñoz
- Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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45
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Tiso T, Narancic T, Wei R, Pollet E, Beagan N, Schröder K, Honak A, Jiang M, Kenny ST, Wierckx N, Perrin R, Avérous L, Zimmermann W, O'Connor K, Blank LM. Towards bio-upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate. Metab Eng 2021; 66:167-178. [PMID: 33865980 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Over 359 million tons of plastics were produced worldwide in 2018, with significant growth expected in the near future, resulting in the global challenge of end-of-life management. The recent identification of enzymes that degrade plastics previously considered non-biodegradable opens up opportunities to steer the plastic recycling industry into the realm of biotechnology. Here, the sequential conversion of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into two types of bioplastics is presented: a medium chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and a novel bio-based poly(amide urethane) (bio-PU). PET films are hydrolyzed by a thermostable polyester hydrolase yielding highly pure terephthalate and ethylene glycol. The obtained hydrolysate is used directly as a feedstock for a terephthalate-degrading Pseudomonas umsongensis GO16, also evolved to efficiently metabolize ethylene glycol, to produce PHA. The strain is further modified to secrete hydroxyalkanoyloxy-alkanoates (HAAs), which are used as monomers for the chemo-catalytic synthesis of bio-PU. In short, a novel value-chain for PET upcycling is shown that circumvents the costly purification of PET monomers, adding technological flexibility to the global challenge of end-of-life management of plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Tiso
- iAMB - Institute of Applied Microbiology. ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, D-52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tanja Narancic
- BiOrbic - SFI Bioeconomy Research Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Ren Wei
- Department of Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 23, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eric Pollet
- BioTeam/ICPEES-ECPM, UMR CNRS 7515, Strasbourg University, 25 rue Becquerel, F-67087, Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Niall Beagan
- BiOrbic - SFI Bioeconomy Research Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Katja Schröder
- iAMB - Institute of Applied Microbiology. ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, D-52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Annett Honak
- Department of Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 23, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mengying Jiang
- BioTeam/ICPEES-ECPM, UMR CNRS 7515, Strasbourg University, 25 rue Becquerel, F-67087, Strasbourg Cedex 2, France; SOPREMA, 14 rue de Saint-Nazaire, F-67025 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Shane T Kenny
- Bioplastech Ltd., NovaUCD, Belfield Innovation Park, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Nick Wierckx
- iAMB - Institute of Applied Microbiology. ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, D-52074, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Rémi Perrin
- SOPREMA, 14 rue de Saint-Nazaire, F-67025 Strasbourg Cedex, France
| | - Luc Avérous
- BioTeam/ICPEES-ECPM, UMR CNRS 7515, Strasbourg University, 25 rue Becquerel, F-67087, Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
| | - Wolfgang Zimmermann
- Department of Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 23, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kevin O'Connor
- BiOrbic - SFI Bioeconomy Research Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Lars M Blank
- iAMB - Institute of Applied Microbiology. ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
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46
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Yan F, Wei R, Cui Q, Bornscheuer UT, Liu Y. Thermophilic whole-cell degradation of polyethylene terephthalate using engineered Clostridium thermocellum. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:374-385. [PMID: 32343496 PMCID: PMC7936307 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a mass-produced synthetic polyester contributing remarkably to the accumulation of solid plastics waste and plastics pollution in the natural environments. Recently, bioremediation of plastics waste using engineered enzymes has emerged as an eco-friendly alternative approach for the future plastic circular economy. Here we genetically engineered a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum, to enable the secretory expression of a thermophilic cutinase (LCC), which was originally isolated from a plant compost metagenome and can degrade PET at up to 70°C. This engineered whole-cell biocatalyst allowed a simultaneous high-level expression of LCC and conspicuous degradation of commercial PET films at 60°C. After 14 days incubation of a batch culture, more than 60% of the initial mass of a PET film (approximately 50 mg) was converted into soluble monomer feedstocks, indicating a markedly higher degradation performance than previously reported whole-cell-based PET biodegradation systems using mesophilic bacteria or microalgae. Our findings provide clear evidence that, compared to mesophilic species, thermophilic microbes are a more promising synthetic microbial chassis for developing future biodegradation processes of PET waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic BiologyQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean EnergyQingdao266101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Ren Wei
- Department of Biotechnology and Enzyme CatalysisInstitute of BiochemistryGreifswald UniversityFelix-Hausdorff-Str. 4D-17487GreifswaldGermany
| | - Qiu Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic BiologyQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean EnergyQingdao266101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Uwe T. Bornscheuer
- Department of Biotechnology and Enzyme CatalysisInstitute of BiochemistryGreifswald UniversityFelix-Hausdorff-Str. 4D-17487GreifswaldGermany
| | - Ya‐Jun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic BiologyQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean EnergyQingdao266101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
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47
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Wei R, Wierckx N. Editorial: Microbial Degradation of Plastics. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:635621. [PMID: 33643269 PMCID: PMC7904672 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.635621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ren Wei
- Junior Research Group Plastic Biodegradation, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nick Wierckx
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
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48
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Gambarini V, Pantos O, Kingsbury JM, Weaver L, Handley KM, Lear G. Phylogenetic Distribution of Plastic-Degrading Microorganisms. mSystems 2021; 6:e01112-20. [PMID: 33468707 PMCID: PMC7820669 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01112-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of plastic-degrading microorganisms reported is rapidly increasing, making it possible to explore the conservation and distribution of presumed plastic-degrading traits across the diverse microbial tree of life. Putative degraders of conventional high-molecular-weight polymers, including polyamide, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, and polypropylene, are spread widely across bacterial and fungal branches of the tree of life, although evidence for plastic degradation by a majority of these taxa appears limited. In contrast, we found strong degradation evidence for the synthetic polymer polylactic acid (PLA), and the microbial species related to its degradation are phylogenetically conserved among the bacterial family Pseudonocardiaceae We collated data on genes and enzymes related to the degradation of all types of plastic to identify 16,170 putative plastic degradation orthologs by mining publicly available microbial genomes. The plastic with the largest number of putative orthologs, 10,969, was the natural polymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), followed by the synthetic polymers polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycaprolactone (PCL), with 8,233 and 6,809 orthologs, respectively. These orthologous genes were discovered in the genomes of 6,000 microbial species, and most of them are as yet not identified as plastic degraders. Furthermore, all these species belong to 12 different microbial phyla, of which just 7 phyla have reported degraders to date. We have centralized information on reported plastic-degrading microorganisms within an interactive and updatable phylogenetic tree and database to confirm the global and phylogenetic diversity of putative plastic-degrading taxa and provide new insights into the evolution of microbial plastic-degrading capabilities and avenues for future discovery.IMPORTANCE We have collated the most complete database of microorganisms identified as being capable of degrading plastics to date. These data allow us to explore the phylogenetic distribution of these organisms and their enzymes, showing that traits for plastic degradation are predominantly not phylogenetically conserved. We found 16,170 putative plastic degradation orthologs in the genomes of 12 different phyla, which suggests a vast potential for the exploration of these traits in other taxa. Besides making the database available to the scientific community, we also created an interactive phylogenetic tree that can display all of the collated information, facilitating visualization and exploration of the data. Both the database and the tree are regularly updated to keep up with new scientific reports. We expect that our work will contribute to the field by increasing the understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of microbial plastic-degrading traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Gambarini
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Olga Pantos
- The Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Ilam, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Joanne M Kingsbury
- The Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Ilam, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Louise Weaver
- The Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Ilam, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Kim M Handley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gavin Lear
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Cui Y, Chen Y, Liu X, Dong S, Tian Y, Qiao Y, Mitra R, Han J, Li C, Han X, Liu W, Chen Q, Wei W, Wang X, Du W, Tang S, Xiang H, Liu H, Liang Y, Houk KN, Wu B. Computational Redesign of a PETase for Plastic Biodegradation under Ambient Condition by the GRAPE Strategy. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c05126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yinglu Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Yanchun Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049,China
| | - Xinyue Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230052,China
| | - Saijun Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Yu’e Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Yuxin Qiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Ruchira Mitra
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049,China
| | - Jing Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Chunli Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Xu Han
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308,China
| | - Weidong Liu
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308,China
| | - Quan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230052,China
| | - Wangqing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023,China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023,China
| | - Wenbin Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Shuangyan Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Hua Xiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
| | - Haiyan Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230052,China
| | - Yong Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023,China
| | - Kendall N. Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles 90095, California, United States
| | - Bian Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101,China
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Palacios-Mateo C, van der Meer Y, Seide G. Analysis of the polyester clothing value chain to identify key intervention points for sustainability. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2021; 33:2. [PMID: 33432280 PMCID: PMC7787125 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-020-00447-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Clothing is one of the primary human needs, and the demand is met by the global production of thousands of tons of textile fibers, fabrics and garments every day. Polyester clothing manufactured from oil-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the market leader. Conventional PET creates pollution along its entire value chain-during the production, use and end-of-life phases-and also contributes to the unsustainable depletion of resources. The consumption of PET garments thus compromises the quality of land, water and air, destroys ecosystems, and endangers human health. In this article, we discuss the different stages of the value chain for polyester clothing from the perspective of sustainability, describing current environmental challenges such as pollution from textile factory wastewater, and microfibers released from clothing during the laundry cycle. We also consider potential solutions such as enhanced reuse and recycling. Finally, we propose a series of recommendations that should be applied to polyester clothing at all stages along the value chain, offering the potential for meaningful and effective change to improve the environmental sustainability of polyester textiles on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Palacios-Mateo
- Aachen Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne van der Meer
- Aachen Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Gunnar Seide
- Aachen Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands
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