改造酵母菌成“降解工厂” 把塑料垃圾“吃干榨净”

Group 1 - The core idea of the article is the innovative approach to plastic waste management through genetic engineering of yeast, enabling it to efficiently decompose plastic into valuable chemical raw materials at room temperature and pressure [1][2] Group 2 - The main component of plastic waste is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is difficult to decompose due to the inefficiency and instability of natural enzymes [1] - The research team utilized a natural yeast called "Tropical Pichia" and engineered it to function as a high-efficiency "mobile degradation factory" [1] - The decomposition of PET typically requires two enzymes: PETase to cut large plastic pieces and MHETase to further break down the fragments into final products, which are terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol [1] - The team created an "integrated self-assembled multi-enzyme display platform" by precisely fixing the two enzymes on the yeast cell surface, enhancing the degradation efficiency [1] Group 3 - In experiments, 10 grams of yeast and 20 grams of plastic bottle fragments were placed in a 5-liter bioreactor, and under mild conditions, the plastic was completely decomposed into monomers within a week [2] - This research not only provides a new tool for plastic waste management but also presents a pathway towards a "plastic circular economy" [2] - Future plans include enabling the yeast to not only decompose plastic but also directly convert the decomposition products into more valuable bio-based chemicals [2]