Molecular Characterization of the Bacterial Community in Biofilms for Degradation of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyhexanoate) Films in Seawater.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics are fragmented pieces of plastic in marine environments, and have become a serious environmental issue. However, the dynamics of the biodegradation of plastic in marine environments have not yet been elucidated in detail. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers that are synthesized by a wide range of microorganisms. One of the PHA derivatives, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) has flexible material properties and a low melting temperature. After an incubation in seawater samples, a significant amount of biofilms were observed on the surfaces of PHBH films, and some PHBH films were mostly or partially degraded. In the biofilms that formed on the surfaces of unbroken PHBH films, the most dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) showed high

SUBMITTER: Morohoshi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5877338 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature