Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute WSL have made a groundbreaking discovery in the Alps: a group of microbes that possess the ability to consume plastic at low temperatures. This finding has significant implications for combating plastic pollution, as these microbes offer a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution compared to existing methods.
Previous research has identified various microorganisms capable of breaking down plastic polymers. In response, many businesses have focused on genetically modifying the enzymes found in bacteria and fungi to address the plastic pollution crisis. However, these endeavors have faced limitations due to the requirement of high temperatures for the enzymes to function effectively. This heating process incurs substantial costs and is not carbon neutral.
The recent study by the Swiss Federal Institute WSL unveiled the most efficient plastic-eating organisms, namely two fungi known as Neodevriesia and Lachnellulam. These fungi exhibit a remarkable ability to degrade biodegradable polyester-polyurethane (PUR) and two commercially available mixtures of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and polylactic acid (PLA) at a mere 15 degrees Celsius or 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition to these notable fungi, the study identified a total of nine fungal species and eight bacterial species from diverse genera that could digest PUR. Moreover, 14 fungi and three bacteria were found to consume mixtures of PBAT and PLA.
Polyester-polyurethane (PUR) is predominantly utilized in synthetic textiles, while polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) finds widespread use in various industries for packaging purposes. Polylactic acid (PLA) is commonly found in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery products and sutures.
The discovery of these temperature-tolerant plastic-eating microbes opens up new avenues for addressing plastic pollution on a larger scale. With their ability to operate efficiently at low temperatures, these microbes offer a more economical and sustainable solution to the plastic waste problem, paving the way for a greener future.
“Here we show that novel microbial taxa obtained from the ‘plastisphere’ of alpine and arctic soils were able to break down biodegradable plastics at 15°C,” said first author Dr. Joel Rüthi. He is from WLS. “These organisms could help to reduce the costs and environmental burden of an enzymatic recycling process for plastic.”
“It was very surprising to us that we found that a large fraction of the tested strains was able to degrade at least one of the tested plastics.”
In the search for a cold-active microbe capable of degrading plastic, a research team conducted a study on 19 strains of bacteria and 15 strains of fungi. These microorganisms were found growing on plastic that had been either abandoned or intentionally buried in various locations such as Greenland, Svalbard, and Switzerland.
In Switzerland, the team collected waste from the summit of Muot da Barba Peider in the Val Lavirun valley, located in the Graubünden region.
To further analyze these microorganisms, scientists needed to cultivate them individually in a controlled laboratory environment that was devoid of light. Molecular techniques were employed to identify the isolated microbes at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.
The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, revealed that a total of 59% of the strains, comprising 11 fungi and eight bacteria, demonstrated the ability to digest polyurethane (PUR) at the specified temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.
“The next big challenge will be to identify the plastic-degrading enzymes produced by the microbial strains and to optimize the process to obtain large amounts of proteins,” said co-author Dr. Beat Frey. She is also from WSL. “In addition, further modification of the enzymes might be needed to optimize properties such as protein stability.”
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