Scientists Create Artificial Protein Capable of Degrading Microplastics in Bottles
6th November 2023
Every year, around 400 million tons of plastics are produced worldwide, a number that increases by around 4% annually. The emissions resulting from their manufacture are one of the elements contributing to climate change, and their ubiquitous presence in ecosystems leads to serious ecological problems.
One of the most used is PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is found in many packaging and beverage bottles. Over time, this material wears down into smaller and smaller particles—so-called microplastics—which aggravates environmental problems. PET already accounts for more than 10% of global plastic production and recycling is scarce and inefficient.
Now, scientists from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center—Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), together with research groups from the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry of the CSIC (ICP-CSIC) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), have developed artificial proteins capable of degrading PET microplastics and nanoplastics and reducing them to their essential components, which would allow them to be broken down or recycled.
We have the technology.