We found that increasing biofilm levels, by manipulating the levels of the second messenger, Cyclic-di-GMP, led to increased levels of polyester degradation in cells expressing novel and well characterised polyester-degrading enzymes. This indicates that modulating biofilm formation is a viable ...
We’ve discovered microorganisms that naturally feed off the chemicals and compounds in plastic waste by digesting and breaking them down into harmless organic matter. And now we're enhancing these microorganisms and enzymes associated with the degradation. Distributing these enhanced microorganisms and en...
Decomposition mechanisms of plastic include 1) photo-oxidation, physical weathering, plowing and harrowing as well as 2) degradation by microorganisms (Sander, 2019). The (bio)degradation-induced generation of secondary MPs and NPs in agricultural soils is a major issue of concern as at the micro...
The biodegradability of organic substances is the degree of the changes in physical and chemical characteristics and molecular structure of organic substances under degradation by microorganisms. Fig. 1 illustrates the biodegradation processes of organic substances under aerobic conditions (Jiang et al., 20...
The degradation of synthetic polymers by marine microorganisms is not as well understood as the degradation of plastics in soil and compost. Here, we use metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics to study the biodegradation of an aromatic-aliphatic copolyester blend by a marine microbial ...
Each year, approximately 9.5 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean with the potential to adversely impact all trophic levels. Until now, our understanding of the impact of plastic pollution on marine microorganisms has been largely restric
Before we explore the nuances of plastic degradation, let’s take a look at the overall idea of decomposition. After all, plastic isn’t the only type of waste that we need to find a place for on this planet. The problem of waste removal and disposal is everywhere, and when improperly ...
These microorganisms are often isolated from the soil of a plastic dumping site, marine water, sewage sludge, landfills, and the guts of plastic-eating worms. Microbial Degradation of Plastics Microbial biodegradation of plastic waste involves changing the chemical structure, shape, tensile strength, ...
Studying the degradation process, which is known to be extremely slow, using these “tagged” plastics enables us to monitor the production of degradation products such as CO2 with very sensitive detection methods. This allows us to measure plastic degradation in less than a week. In nature, ...
Degradations of plastic affected by various factors are given below: Plastic materials: future perspectives, challenges and other issues Various types of plastics may be of use in packages, biomedical products, electronic components, non-returnable goods, construction materials, etc. However, an ...