Scientists on the verge of creating a mutant enzyme for plastic recycling

Initially, the bacterial enzyme found in the compost pit can be used to process recyclable materials (plastics) and produce the highest quality drinking bottles.

Who created the mutant enzyme

This unusual project to create a bacterial mutant enzyme, with the help of which recycled materials are processed, is actively pursued by the company Carbios.

The company plans to launch industrial use of the mutant enzyme by 2024-2025.

What is an enzyme

As is often the case, the work to study and identify the enzyme began with an accidental discovery made in a compost pit in 2012.

Since then, more than 100,000 microorganisms, which somehow fit the parameters, and now the scientists managed to find it.

After active work on the analysis, the scientists began to "refine" the enzyme and made some adjustments (added mutations).

These changes have significantly improved the ability of the enzyme to degrade plastic PET (from which all plastic containers are made). And also increased its resistance to temperatures of 72 degrees Celsius.

Note. It is this temperature that is considered ideal for correct PET splitting.

During the experimental work, the following results were obtained:

One ton of plastic containers was taken and thanks to the enzyme it was recycled 90% within 10 hours.

Disadvantages of technology

As always, there were some drawbacks. And the obvious one is the need to pre-grind and heat PET in order for the enzyme to successfully do its job.

Therefore, the cost of such recyclable materials is naturally higher than that of the currently existing type of processing. But, as experts say, only the enzyme treatment provides sufficient purity of raw materials to be reused in the food industry.

Conclusion

Work on improving the mutagen is still ongoing. And, quite possibly, soon we will observe its work on an industrial scale. In the meantime, it remains only to wait for the results of work.

Research and development results were published in the journal Nature.

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