Eco-microbiology: discovering biochemical enhancers of PET biodegradation by <i>Piscinibacter sakaiensis</i>.

ABSTRACT: The scale of plastic pollution boggles the mind. Nearly 400 megatons of virgin plastics are produced annually, with an environmental release rate of 80%, and plastic waste, including microplastics and nanoplastics, is associated with a plethora of problems. The naturally evolved abilities of plastic-degrading microbes offer a starting point for generating sustainable and eco-centric solutions to plastic pollution-a field of endeavor we term eco-microbiology. Here, we developed an iterative discovery procedure coupling faster polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-dependent bioactivity screens with longer-term PET biodegradation assays to find biochemical boosters of PET consumption by the bacterium Piscinibacter sakaiensis. We discovered multiple hits supporting the enhancement of PET bio

SUBMITTER: Piedra F-A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11921318 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature