Cold-Adapted Microbes in Plastic Degradation



The current recycling methods for plastics have limitations and downsides with all the high energy requirements, toxic solvents, and decreased polymer quality. Recently, scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) have discovered cold-adapted microbes that are viable for plastic degradation in cold environments at 15 Celsius. These plastic-degrading microbes have the potential to revolutionize plastic recycling and reduce plastic waste in landfills and oceans. 

19 strains of bacteria and 15 strains of fungi were extracted from plastics found in the Alps and the Arctic. There were tested to identify their ability to degrade different types of plastic, including non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE), biodegradable polyester-polyurethane (PUR), pure polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), pure polylactic acid (PLA), and the mixture of PBAT and PLA. 

The result shows that none of the microbes could degrade PE, yet a significant percentage (56%) of the strains could break down PUR at 15°C, and some could degrade the plastic mixtures of PBAT and PLA.

Two fungal strains, namely Neodevriesia and Lachnellula, could degrade all tested biodegradable plastic materials used in the study. These strains are considered promising for future application in plastic biodegradation. 

The next step for this promising future is first to identify plastic-degrading enzymes produced by microbial strains and optimize the process to obtain larger quantities of these enzymes. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When to Use “In, On, At” in Sentences?

The three prepositions such as “in,” “on,” and “at” are commonly used to indicate the location or position of objects, people, or events. However, choosing the correct preposition can sometimes be tricky, especially for non-native English speakers like me. Here is a detailed explanation of when to use these three prepositions in sentences and specific places or locations according to my research. “In” The preposition “in” is used to indicate a position or location within an enclosed or defined space. Here are some examples of when to use “in”: Place:  She is in the house. He is in the room.  The book is in the bag.  Time:  She was born in 2001.  I will see you in an hour.  We will meet again in the afternoon.  Other uses:  The cat is in the park.  He works in a hospital.  We are in trouble.  *Note:  Use "IN" when referring to smaller modes of transportation like cars, canoes, and personal aircraft, on the other hand, we us...
Read more

How to Use Articles "A/An & The" Correctly?

Image
Articles: "A/An & The" Using articles (a/an/the) in English is an important aspect of grammar, as it helps to clarify the meaning of a sentence. The basic function of articles is to introduce or identify a noun or noun phrase in a sentence. However, the use of articles can be confusing, especially for non-native speakers. In this response, I will explain in detail when to use “A, An, The” in English. "A/An" A/An : The articles “a” and “an” are indefinite articles, which means they do not refer to a specific noun, but to any member of a group or class. Here are the general rules for using "a/an" in a sentence: • Use “a” before singular countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound. Example: a book, a dog, a university • Use “an” before singular countable nouns that begin with a vowel sound. Example: an apple, an egg, an hour Note : The use of “a” or “an” depends on the sound of the first letter of the word, not on the letter itself. For example, “ho...
Read more