TwInn4MicroUp new scientific publication on microbial plastic degradation
A new scientific article supported by the TwInn4MicroUp project has been published in Biotechnology for the Environment journal, contributing to the growing research on sustainable solutions for plastic waste management. The study explores the plastic-degrading potential of P. aeruginosa, combining microbiological, enzymatic and genomic approaches.
The publication addresses the contrasting degradability of conventional synthetic plastics with carbon–carbon backbones and ester-containing polymers, including bio-based plastics. The study highlights the limited degradability of C–C backbone plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), in contrast to ester-containing polymers like PET, PU, and bio-based plastics (PLA, PCL, PHA), which exhibit greater microbial susceptibility. While P. aeruginosa demonstrates only partial surface modification of recalcitrant plastics, it achieves substantial degradation of bio-based plastics such as PCL.
