Development of polyethylene terephthalate plastic eating pseudomonas putida

Abstract

Pollution has long been a burden to humanity, and among the most prominent types is plastic pollution. Plastics have been an expedient source for human activity and progress, however its large carbon footprint and harmful effects on animals, humans and habitats outweighs its advantages. Despite recycling efforts, plastic’s non bio-degradability continues to harm the environment. Bioremediation has been the most recent endeavor in managing plastic pollution, where recently discovered microorganisms have shown the capacity to break down different types of plastics. This paper highlights all studies pertaining to the plastic eating bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis with the potential of breaking down Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). This degradation is done through the action of its enzyme Polyethylene Terephthalate hydrolase (PETase), producing Monohydroxyethyl Terephthalate (MHET), which is further broken down into terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG) by the action of Monohydroxyethyl Terephthalate hydrolase (MHETase) enzyme. Among the many types of bacteria capable of breaking down plastics, Pseudomonas Putida has been seen to have an effect on Polyethylene (PE), but no study was conducted to assess its effect on PET plastic. This bacterium is well known for its ability to survive in extreme environments including salt water. This study aims to transform P. putida into a PET degrading bacterium through the use of a constructed pSEVA441-EGFP-PrpsL-PelB-IsPETase-FLAG tag plasmid (also known as pRT2210 plasmid). Transformed P. putida were selected based on their streptomycin (sm) resistance and the formation of a yellowish halo around colonies. The successful production of PETase enzyme could be validated by the western blot analysis, and its effectiveness through the gravimetric weight loss analysis. Anticipated results may indicate that transformed P.putida bacteria are capable of producing PETase enzymes that may be functional against PET plastic in salt water.