'Pac-Man' enzyme breaks down bioplastics and penicillin in laboratory tests
In the ocean, plastic waste collects to form large garbage patches that endanger marine life. This is partly because the synthetic plastic polymers used today can only be broken down biologically—that is, by microorganisms—at a very slow rate. Instead, the physical fragmentation of these materials leads to the formation of microplastics and nanoplastics. However, microorganisms do colonize…
Scientists at the University of Konstanz have discovered a new enzyme, dubbed the "Pac-Man enzyme," which can break down bioplastics and even confer resistance to antibiotics to bacteria. This enzyme, identified through laboratory tests, is capable of degrading certain polyesters and bioplastics, potentially providing bacteria with a new way to adapt to plastic degradation.
The enzyme was named after its structure, which resembles the Pac-Man video game character, with a wide-open active site that allows it to "eat" plastic materials. The research team, led by biologists Harry Lerner and David Schleheck, conducted their study by burying bioplastic materials in soil at the university's botanical garden and monitoring their degradation over a period of one year.
They found that all bioplastic materials were completely degraded within approximately 250 to 330 days, while cellulose degraded after about 80 days. The researchers also discovered that the enzyme is capable of cleaving the beta-lactam ring of certain antibiotics, such as penicillin, which could make bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
This discovery could signal a turning point in the fight against plastic pollution, as it suggests that certain microorganisms may be able to specialize in breaking down plastic materials more quickly than previously thought.
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