The Strategic Enhancement of Micro-plastic Biodegradation: A Blueprint of Microbial Triple Consortia

Abstract

The application of computational biology, synthetic biology and bioengineering techniques has surged within the last decade enhancing agriculture, textiles, medicine, and consumer goods. Yet, the fields of pollution and waste management, particularly plastic waste disposal, still depend on mechanical and chemical solutions. Progress in these sectors has been painfully slow as current methodologies focuses on manipulating biological systems for either bioremediation and/or sequestration. Micro-plastic pollution, an unintended consequences from the wide spread usage of plastics in cosmetics and industrial production, now poses a significant health risks to the biodiversity of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Research conducted by Leslie et al., in 2022 discovered traces of micro-plastics within human blood and tissues. The persistent nature of micro-plastics can make them vectors for harmful and debilitating “forever chemicals” and pathogens. Micro-plastics are not homogeneous; they are comprised of a collection of various materials like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS) and polyurethane (PU), complicating any potential cleanup efforts. In 2016, a Kyoto-based research team discovered that the bacterium Idellonella sakaiensis, could metabolize PET as a source of biochemical energy. In 2021, a second research team, Peller et al., published a discovery of a seed protein recreated by the algae Cladophora, identified as Moringa oleifera. This seed protein, which can aggregate micro-plastics, allowed the algae to sequester the particles. The primary challenges remain in developing a novel methodology combining these three discovers to remediate the ongoing issues caused by micro-plastic contamination.