You know the big garbage dumps in cities. Here is our planet, it is about to turn into one of the big landfills† Plastic pollution, especially in recent years to alarming proportions reached, and this situation has mobilized experts.

Scientists have identified plastic pollution before it causes long-term lasting damage to the environment. will decrease mobilized to find methods. Plastic pollution should not get any worse than it is now, according to a new study. a special enzyme It may be possible with

The process of breaking down plastic in nature, which normally takes centuries, can be done in 24 hours.

According to the research in question, the breakdown of plastic components would be possible in a much shorter time than usual with the use of a specially made enzyme variant. In fact, this enzyme is associated with plastic pollution. cleaning polluted areas It can even be used for

In the tests carried out as part of the study, thanks to the said enzyme made of polymeric polyethylene terephthalate (PET) products made for a week, or even in some cases 24 hours It was observed that fragmentation is possible in Since this process can take centuries under natural conditions, this is an incredible process of decomposition of plastic. will accelerate resources.

In a statement on the subject “The possibilities are endless in all sectors to take advantage of this pioneering recycling process” Hal Alper, a chemical engineer at the University of Texas, said: “In addition to the open waste management industry, this is also the case for companies from all sectors of their products. leading the recycling It offers opportunities.” saves as.

Enzyme-degraded plastics can be recycled later

The team developed a new enzyme variant that bacteria developed from a natural PETase that breaks down PET plastic. ‘FAST PETase’ (functional, active, stable and tolerant PETase). To develop FAST-PETase, the team says they used machine learning to detect five mutations that would make plastic break down faster under different environmental conditions.

New enzyme variant depolymerization After successfully breaking down plastic into its basic molecular units, known as what’s known as “plastic,” the researchers report that they have now observed that they can reassemble the plastic (repolymerization), this time using chemical processes to to create new plastic products.

Finding FAST-PETase involved 51 different studies of used plastic containers, fabric made from five different polyester fibers and PET, and water bottles. When tested on all these products, the effect of the enzyme variant on plastics was found at temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius. proven† Consider environmental cleaning practices Able to work at ambient temperature Claiming that an enzyme is needed, Alper said, “This requirement is what gives our technology a big advantage in the future.” saves as.

PET alone accounts for 12 percent of global waste

PETit forms the basis of many consumer packaging, from textiles to water bottles, and PET alone accounts for about half of all global waste. 12′thought to cause it. All plastics worldwide less than 10 percent Given that it is recycled, it is much easier to understand how terrible this figure is.

However, the release of FAST-PETase has resolved this issue. ‘Stop’ seems to say. Researchers on this topic, the enzyme in question relatively cheap and portable that is it; he underlines that it is not very difficult to scale this up to industrial levels that may be needed.

Currently, one of the most commonly used methods of destroying plastic is to place the waste in an environment where it will decompose very slowly. to the landfill that fill the atmosphere with poisonous gas by consuming large amounts of energy combustion process has. In other words, the need for new, alternative solutions to break down plastic has never been more acute, and FAST-PETase is for this problem. a possible solution forms.

Andrew Ellington, a biochemist at the University of Texas, “This work has been studied in areas ranging from synthetic biology to chemical engineering to artificial intelligence.the power of bringing different disciplines together it is really visible expressions used.