Name: Breanne Margarethe A.

Lucañas General Biology 2

Year: STEM2E Activity No.1

Genetically Modified Bacteria break down plastics in Saltwater

October 26, 2023

Researchers have
genetically engineered a
marine microorganism to
break down plastic in salt
water. The modified
organism can break down
polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), a contributor to
microplastic pollution in
oceans that is used in
everything from water
bottles to clothing.

The researchers worked with two species of bacteria. The first, Vibrio natriegens,
thrives in saltwater and reproduces very quickly. The second, Ideonella sakaiensis,
produces enzymes that enable it to break down and metabolize PET.

The researchers took the DNA from I. sakaiensis and incorporated its genetic
sequence into a plasmid. Plasmids are genetic sequences that can replicate in a cell,
independent of the cell's own chromosome. By introducing the plasmid containing the I.
sakaiensis genes into V. natriegens bacteria, the researchers were able to get V.
natriegens to produce the desired enzymes on the surfaces of their cells. The researchers
then demonstrated that V. natriegens could break down PET in a saltwater environment
at room temperature.
 "This is the first time anyone has reported successfully getting V. natriegens to
express foreign enzymes on the surface of its cells," says Nathan Crook, corresponding
author of the paper on the work, published in the AIChE Journal, and a chemical and
biomolecular engineer at North Carolina State University. The work was done with
funding support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

"From a practical standpoint, this is also the first genetically engineered organism
that we know of that is capable of breaking down PET microplastics in saltwater," says
Tianyu Li of NC State, first author of the paper. The researchers acknowledged that
additional hurdles must be addressed, but "breaking down the PET in saltwater was the
most challenging" part of their work, according to Crook.

Reference:

Genetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater. NSF. (2023, October 26).
https://new.nsf.gov/news/genetically-modified-bacteria-break-down-
plastics#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20genetically%20engineered%20a,from%20water
%20bottles%20to%20clothing.