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Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means?
The invention of fossil fuel–derived plastics changed and reshaped society for the better; however, their mass production has created an unprecedented accumulation of waste and an environmental crisis. Scientists are searching for better ways to reduce plastic waste than the current methods of mecha...
Autores principales: | , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Public Library of Science
2023
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9990942/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36881558 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001979 |
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author | Bertocchini, Federica Arias, Clemente F. |
author_facet | Bertocchini, Federica Arias, Clemente F. |
author_sort | Bertocchini, Federica |
collection | PubMed |
description | The invention of fossil fuel–derived plastics changed and reshaped society for the better; however, their mass production has created an unprecedented accumulation of waste and an environmental crisis. Scientists are searching for better ways to reduce plastic waste than the current methods of mechanical recycling and incineration, which are only partial solutions. Biological means of breaking down plastics have been investigated as alternatives, with studies mostly focusing on using microorganisms to biologically degrade sturdy plastics like polyethylene (PE). Unfortunately, after a few decades of research, biodegradation by microorganisms has not provided the hoped-for results. Recent studies suggest that insects could provide a new avenue for investigation into biotechnological tools, with the discovery of enzymes that can oxidize untreated PE. But how can insects provide a solution that could potentially make a difference? And how can biotechnology revolutionize the plastic industry to stop ongoing/increasing contamination? |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-9990942 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2023 |
publisher | Public Library of Science |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-99909422023-03-08 Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? Bertocchini, Federica Arias, Clemente F. PLoS Biol Unsolved Mystery The invention of fossil fuel–derived plastics changed and reshaped society for the better; however, their mass production has created an unprecedented accumulation of waste and an environmental crisis. Scientists are searching for better ways to reduce plastic waste than the current methods of mechanical recycling and incineration, which are only partial solutions. Biological means of breaking down plastics have been investigated as alternatives, with studies mostly focusing on using microorganisms to biologically degrade sturdy plastics like polyethylene (PE). Unfortunately, after a few decades of research, biodegradation by microorganisms has not provided the hoped-for results. Recent studies suggest that insects could provide a new avenue for investigation into biotechnological tools, with the discovery of enzymes that can oxidize untreated PE. But how can insects provide a solution that could potentially make a difference? And how can biotechnology revolutionize the plastic industry to stop ongoing/increasing contamination? Public Library of Science 2023-03-07 /pmc/articles/PMC9990942/ /pubmed/36881558 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001979 Text en © 2023 Bertocchini, Arias https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
spellingShingle | Unsolved Mystery Bertocchini, Federica Arias, Clemente F. Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
title | Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
title_full | Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
title_fullStr | Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
title_full_unstemmed | Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
title_short | Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
title_sort | why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means? |
topic | Unsolved Mystery |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9990942/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36881558 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001979 |
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