A groundbreaking study by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reveals the engineering of two synthetic bacteria strains capable of transforming plastic waste into useful chemicals.
Sourced from the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida, the engineered bacteria strains target polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to produce terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.
Thee resultant chemicals have applications in the manufacturing of materials such as insulators, foams, coatings, adhesives and nylon.
The study, published in Nature Communications, underscores the potential of engineered bacteria in offering sustainable solutions to the escalating crisis of plastic pollution.
????International researchers have genetically engineered two synthetic bacteria they say can help turn plastic waste into more useful chemicalshttps://t.co/aXlasTmDHA pic.twitter.com/oUM5TFnxaN— Australian Science Media Centre (@AusSMC) September 27, 2023
Avenues for upcycling polymers
"The bacteria further upcycled the plastic by converting it into the biodegradable polymer PHA and muconate," noted researchers Ting Lu and James Collins.
This achievement shows that microbial engineering may open up avenues for upcycling polymers and fostering environmental sustainability.
The project received funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Future Insight Prize sponsored by Merck KGaA.
Although the implications are promising, it is essential to note that the views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Defense or the US Government.