Engineering whole-cell catalysts to use plastic waste as a feedstock
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Jimenez Zarco, Jose
Cruañas Pániker, Catalina
Wain, Brooke H
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The extensive production, durability, and waste mismanagement of plastic polymers have led to a highly concerning environmental problem. Recycling methods aim to reduce the amount of plastic pollution, and among them, biological processes have emerged as an interesting alternative for the management of plastic waste that is difficult to collect or can not be recycled by other methods. While there has been significant progress in the field, in particular related to the enzymatic hydrolysis of polyesters, most biological methods rely on the use of enzymes in vitro, using collected plastics. In this review, we explore the status of technologies using whole-cell catalysts that could be used for in vivo upcycling of plastic waste — with plastic becoming a microbial feedstock — and for the development of biodegradation strategies in relevant environments. We have identified a number of barriers related to polymer bioavailability, enzyme activity and secretion, and the use of strains and microbial communities that need to be overcome to materialize a much-needed solution to plastic pollution.
Date Issued
2026-02-01
Date Acceptance
2026-01-06
Citation
Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2026, 97
ISSN
0958-1669
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Current Opinion in Biotechnology
Volume
97
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
103443
Date Publish Online
2026-01-23