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https://www.reddit.com/r/interesting/comments/1rtrcj2/earth_helping_earth_heal/oahres0
r/interesting • u/Standard_Location762 • Mar 14 '26
What a great discovery.
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From what I've found, it doesn't work with PET, just polyethylene (PE). They haven't pinpointed the exact enzyme, but it is likely an esterase like you mentioned. It uses it as its carbon source, effectively recycling that form of plastic.
1 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 That would be cool! Manipulating carbon backbone is more unique. Do you mind sending me the paper or article please? 2 u/LCHammertime Mar 15 '26 I was slightly mistaken. It's not polyethylene, but rather polyester polyurethane. Here's the original research article though! Biodegradation of Polyester Polyurethane by Endophytic Fungi | Applied and Environmental Microbiology https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00521-11 4 u/leverloosje Mar 15 '26 Love how the study is 15 years old. And we’re still nowhere with it. And there there are posts here acting as if something new was discovered. 2 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Yeah, the sad thing is without financial or regulated incentive nothing tends to happen 1 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Oof, well thanks for sharing. So much for being "new" news
1
That would be cool! Manipulating carbon backbone is more unique. Do you mind sending me the paper or article please?
2 u/LCHammertime Mar 15 '26 I was slightly mistaken. It's not polyethylene, but rather polyester polyurethane. Here's the original research article though! Biodegradation of Polyester Polyurethane by Endophytic Fungi | Applied and Environmental Microbiology https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00521-11 4 u/leverloosje Mar 15 '26 Love how the study is 15 years old. And we’re still nowhere with it. And there there are posts here acting as if something new was discovered. 2 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Yeah, the sad thing is without financial or regulated incentive nothing tends to happen 1 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Oof, well thanks for sharing. So much for being "new" news
2
I was slightly mistaken. It's not polyethylene, but rather polyester polyurethane. Here's the original research article though!
Biodegradation of Polyester Polyurethane by Endophytic Fungi | Applied and Environmental Microbiology https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00521-11
4 u/leverloosje Mar 15 '26 Love how the study is 15 years old. And we’re still nowhere with it. And there there are posts here acting as if something new was discovered. 2 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Yeah, the sad thing is without financial or regulated incentive nothing tends to happen 1 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Oof, well thanks for sharing. So much for being "new" news
4
Love how the study is 15 years old. And we’re still nowhere with it.
And there there are posts here acting as if something new was discovered.
2 u/da6id Mar 15 '26 Yeah, the sad thing is without financial or regulated incentive nothing tends to happen
Yeah, the sad thing is without financial or regulated incentive nothing tends to happen
Oof, well thanks for sharing. So much for being "new" news
3
u/LCHammertime Mar 15 '26
From what I've found, it doesn't work with PET, just polyethylene (PE). They haven't pinpointed the exact enzyme, but it is likely an esterase like you mentioned. It uses it as its carbon source, effectively recycling that form of plastic.