A team of Portuguese scientists has identified a group of yeasts and bacteria capable of degrading plastic.
The feat was achieved by members of the Center for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) of the School of Sciences at the University of Minho.
According to a note from the university sent to ZAP, the result is very promising and highlights microorganisms as a sustainable alternative in the fight against global plastic pollution.
The analysis began three years ago and was led by João Gomes, who presented a master's thesis on the subject.
In a world where more and more plastics are polluting the Earth, this research used various yeasts and bacteria to degrade polyethylene.
Polyethylene is one of the main everyday plastics and is very polluting - it is not very biodegradable.
The Portuguese scientists concluded that Yarrowia lipolytica and Pseudomonas aeruginos attached themselves to the surface of the plastic, formed biofilms (the first stage of degradation) and produced enzymes that "fed" on the plastic, breaking it down.
The biodegradation of microplastics "can involve microorganisms equipped with enzymes that break down the bonds of plastic polymers and transform them into carbon dioxide, water and microbial biomass", explained João Gomes.
The CBMA team now wants to delve deeper into the biological mechanisms involved in plastic degradation and find other microorganisms that speed up the degradation process.
