An engineered PET depolymerase to break down and recycle plastic bottles

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 580; no. 7802; pp. 216 - 219
• Main Authors: Tournier, V., Topham, C. M., Gilles, A., David, B., Folgoas, C., Moya-Leclair, E., Kamionka, E., Desrousseaux, M.-L., Texier, H., Gavalda, S., Cot, M., Guémard, E., Dalibey, M., Nomme, J., Cioci, G., Barbe, S., Chateau, M., André, I., Duquesne, S., Marty, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.04.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/45/603; 631/61/338; 639/638/77/603; 82; Actinobacteria - enzymology; Amino acids; Analysis; Binding sites; Biotechnology; Bottles; Burkholderiales - enzymology; Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases - chemistry; Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases - metabolism; Chain mobility; Computer-aided design; Depolymerization; Disulfides - chemistry; Disulfides - metabolism; Enzyme Assays; Enzyme Stability; Enzymes; Fusarium - enzymology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrolase; Hydrolases - chemistry; Hydrolases - metabolism; Landfills; Life Sciences; Materials; Methods; Models, Molecular; Monomers; multidisciplinary; Mutagenesis; Mutation; Petrochemicals; Petrochemicals industry; Phthalic Acids - metabolism; Plastic bottles; Plastics; Plastics - chemistry; Plastics - metabolism; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polyethylene Terephthalates - chemistry; Polyethylene Terephthalates - metabolism; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymerization; Polymers; Protein Engineering; Recycling; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Textiles; Thermobifida; Thermomechanical treatment; Waste disposal sites; Waste management; France

Present estimates suggest that of the 359 million tons of plastics produced annually worldwide 1 , 150–200 million tons accumulate in landfill or in the natural environment 2 . Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is the most abundant polyester plastic, with almost 70 million tons manufactured annuall...