Successfully developed enzymes capable of decomposing plastics

Enzyme decomposition resin generated during the mutation PETase enzyme in the bacteria eat plastic resin Ideonella sakaiensis.

Scientists from the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory accidentally created an enzyme capable of breaking down plastic by mutagenesis , opening up new solutions to the problem. The world, AFP yesterday reported.

The research team focused on the bacterium that eats PET (thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate) called Ideonella sakaiensis , first discovered by Japanese scientists in 2016. is to understand the structure of the PETase enzyme in this bacterium. However, they have gone further than expected by accidentally creating mutant enzymes capable of decomposing plastic even better than PETase.

The mutant enzyme can decay the resin for several days. (Photo: CGTN).

Scientists have used ultra-powerful X-rays, which are 10 billion times brighter than sunlight to produce ultra-high-resolution 3D models of the structure of the PETase enzyme. The model shows that it is closely related to the cutinase enzyme found in fungi and bacteria. The difference only appears in a small area within the PETase enzyme. Scientists say it is the factor that allows the enzyme to break down the resin.

The team tried to change the activity of PETase enzyme to make it more similar to the cutinase enzyme. The results were surprising when the mutant enzyme was able to decompose the PET resin better than the PETase enzyme in the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis.

The results of the study are very important. It is estimated that more than 8 million tons of plastic waste is discharged into the sea each year, most of which require hundreds of years to decompose in the wild. "Enzymes are amazingly made. Plastic plastics can take up to 400 years to decompose, but now we can decompose them in just a few days," said Professor John McGreehan from the University of Portsmouth. know.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. Scientists say more time is needed to improve the enzyme, hoping to soon be able to apply it on a large scale to treat plastic waste around the world.