Plastic-Eating Enzyme Developed to Address the Planet's Growing Plastic Pollution Problem

Plastic pollution has become one of the world's most significant environmental issues, based on anecdotal and emerging scientific evidence. The insurmountable spike of plastic waste worldwide has affected not only ecosystems but also animal and human health. Over the past several decades, plastic production has increased exponentially, as demand rises and industries grow.

In recent years, a number of scientists and world leaders have attempted to address the plastic pollution crisis, primarily with the aim of reducing plastic waste. Since plastics are not biodegradable, its content never fully disappears, turning them either into fragmented particles known as "microplastics" or "nano plastics" which recent studies have shown to be present in the air, water, or even inside our bodies.

Amid the growing environmental threat, new research led by the United Kingdom showed that an engineered enzyme from a bacteria can address the planet's plastic problem. The breakthrough discovery is made possible by a new enzyme engineering platform which boosts these plastic-eating enzymes through directed evolution.

Plastic-Eating Enzyme

In the new study published in the journal Nature Catalysis on Thursday, August 11, researchers from the University of Manchester in England developed the new enzyme called "HotPETase" through the direct evolution of a recently discovered enzyme dubbed as "IsPETase."

The latter is produced by the ideonella sakaiensis bacteria, which can harness the commonly used plastic Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as its own carbon and energy source.

The enzyme-based plastic recycling has been an emerging environment-friendly strategy in recent years. However, the study's authors claim there is still a more cost-effective and efficient alternative.

Enzyme Engineering Platform

The said platform was specifically developed by a team from the university's Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) research institute.

According to MIB's Dr. Elizabeth Bell, proponent of the experimental work, plastic accumulation in the environment is considered as a major global challenge. In this context, the research team is keen to utilize their enzyme evolution capabilities to enhance the properties of the plastic-eating enzymes to alleviate some of these issues, as cited by Science Daily.

Plastic Pollution Crisis

Plastic pollution is most evident in developing countries in Asia and Africa, where garbage collection systems are either non-existent or inefficient. However, developed nations are also encountering challenges when it comes to collecting discarded plastic. according to the National Geographic.

Nat Geo also adds plastic trash has become ubiquitous it forced the United Nations in 2019 to write a legally binding global treaty about the crisis.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), plastic waste was relatively manageable between the 1950s and the 1970s, but plastic waste generation more than tripled between the 1970s and the 1990s due to a rise in plastic production.

During the early 2000s, the amount of plastic waste we produced increase in a single decade, greater than the previous 40 years combined. Since then, the world is producing approximately 400 million tons of plastic waste every year, the UNEP adds.