“For plastic to degrade, oxygen must penetrate the polymer (the plastic molecule). However, to date, only a handful of microorganisms are known to break down the tough plastic polymers forming polyethylene, and, in most cases, aggressive pre-treatment is needed to guarantee oxidation and thus enable the micro-organisms to exert some effect on the plastic. Plastic pollution poses a threat to the planet's health and environment and biodegradation by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi is proposed as a possible solution to tackle the plastic waste problem. Together with polypropylene and polystyrene, it makes up 70% of total plastic production. Polyethylene is one of the toughest and most widely used plastics. The discovery of these enzymes, which belong to the phenol oxidase family and can rapidly set off polyethylene, opens up an array of applications for treating or recycling plastic waste. Federica Bertocchini at Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC) demonstrates how the saliva of wax worm species of Galleria mellonella contains enzymes able to degrade plastics. A new work published in Nature Communications by the group of Dr.
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