蓝莓视频

Chemical engineering researchers听at the University of 蓝莓视频听have joined听forces to take on听a pressing environmental problem听by听using听synthetic biology to turn plastic waste into valuable resources.

The听multidisciplinary group听is working听together to听听that听leverage听synthetic biology, microbial听engineering听and engineering design to degrade and upcycle plastic waste.

鈥淲e鈥檙e stepping out of our silos to advance sustainability,鈥� says听Dr.听Marc Aucoin,听a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. 鈥淚f we work together, we have a broader base to attack this听issue.鈥�

The scale of the challenge

The plastic waste crisis is one of the great challenges听facing humanity.听According to the听,听19听to听23 million听tonnes听of plastic waste听leak听into ecosystems annually.听These plastics听take hundreds of years to break down听and are now听degrading听into nano and micro plastics.

A听promising solution听lies in creating听a circular economy听in which听plastics听at the end of their lives are听consistently used to generate new,听valuable products,听rather than听ending听up听as harmful waste听in oceans听and听landfills.听That鈥檚听where members of the听蓝莓视频听research group,听which includes听Aucoin and听colleagues听Drs. Christian Euler,听Brian Ingalls,听Yilan听Liu听and听Elisabeth Prince,听come in.

Biotechnological solutions to plastic waste听may听be听cost-effective in upcycling plastics into valuable products,听and since听traditional听recycling methods rely on harsh chemicals and听high听temperatures, using听synthetic biology to听engineer organisms听and biological听systems听offers a gentler听way forward.

A greener path to recycling

Euler,听a chemical engineering professor and听蓝莓视频鈥檚听lead for听the听Center for Innovative Recycling and Circular Economy (CIRCLE),听is听developing听novel microbial听pathways to valorize plastic waste.

In a recent听听in the听journal听PLoS听Computational听Biology,听Euler鈥檚 research group听investigated听whether feedstocks听derived from plastic waste听could provide the energy to drive听carbon听dioxide听(CO鈧�)听conversion.

The group听analyzed听how certain organisms metabolize both CO鈧� and plastic waste simultaneously听-听a听strategy called听mixotrophy听in which听mix听尘别补苍蝉听肠辞尘产颈苍颈苍驳听尘耻濒迟颈辫濒别听蹿辞辞诲蝉听补苍诲听troph听means eating. This听approach听may听allow micro-organisms to process multiple carbon sources at once, which is unusual since most microbes typically consume only one type of听鈥渇ood鈥澨齛t a time.

The research听demonstrated听that several waste-derived carbon sources听鈥斕齟specially those from plastic听鈥斕齝ould support the microbial conversion of CO鈧� into valuable products,听addressing听two environmental problems at once.

In this microscopic view, red and green cells exchange DNA molecules and start to turn yellow as they transfer a plastic-eating gene.

The results served to听highlight that developing new methods to听break down听plastics at their source,听such as听in听wastewater treatment plants,听is critical.听Degrading plastics before they reach natural ecosystems could significantly reduce environmental contamination.

To address this challenge, Aucoin, Ingalls, a mathematics professor who is cross-appointed to biology and chemical engineering, and Aaron Yip, a former PhD student, developed a process that degrades polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics via an enzyme found in nature.

Their goal听is听to spread the听enzyme,听or the genetic information for the听enzyme,听throughout a population of organisms found in municipal wastewater.

Liu, also a professor of chemical engineering,听is听taking a different approach听by听evolving听microbes听to听鈥渆at鈥澨齪lastics听as their听only food source.听Her听research group is engineering synthetic symbiotic bacterial consortia for the bioconversion of plastic waste.

Building a circular plastics economy

Prince听is听approaching the problem from a different angle by听looking at how plastics are designed in the first place.

She听developed听a method to make thermoset听polymers听and听rubbers recyclable听using existing听manufacturing听infrastructure, requiring only听minor听formulation听changes.听This听strategy听could make currently non-recyclable materials听like听rubber tires, epoxy听coatings听and elastic bands听part of a sustainable, circular system.

鈥淲hen we talk about grand challenges in the world, each of us could say our work is a small piece of the solution,鈥澨鼸uler听says. 鈥淏ut when we bring our different听expertise听together,听we鈥檙e听creating a听community that听is听truly collaborative.听We鈥檙e听not just working in our own spheres听-听we鈥檙e听building something new together.鈥�

Featured image:听Dr. Christian Euler (left) and Dr.听Marc Aucoin are two of several chemical engineering professors at the University of 蓝莓视频 working to help solve the pressing problem of plastics pollution.