Cover image: researchers developed "living plastics" by engineering spores to produce Burkholderia cepacia lipase, enabling near-complete biodegradation of poly (caprolactone). (IMAGE)
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Plastics are widely used but difficult to degrade, posing an ecological challenge. A team from SIAT developed degradable "living plastics" using synthetic biology and polymer engineering. They engineered Bacillus subtilis spores to produce Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BC-lipase), an enzyme that breaks down plastic. These spores were mixed with poly(caprolactone) (PCL) to create the plastics, maintaining the material's physical properties. When the plastic surface is eroded, the spores release the enzyme, leading to nearly complete breakdown of the plastic.
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DAI Zhuojun
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