Article
Environmental Sciences
Atif Khurshid Wani, Nahid Akhtar, Nafiaah Naqash, Farida Rahayu, Djajadi Djajadi, Chirag Chopra, Reena Singh, Sikandar I. Mulla, Farooq Sher, Heloisa Pine Americo-Pinheiro Juliana
Summary: Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants in the environment, with increasing accumulation in aquatic, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems due to human activities. These MPs, which degrade slowly, pose a threat to biota by increasing the probability of biomagnification of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances. In order to remediate MP-pollutants, efficient strategies are needed to prevent the leaching of contaminants into water, soil, and eventually into humans. Microorganisms capable of degrading plastic polymers through enzymatic actions have been discovered, and metagenomics is an effective tool for exploring and characterizing these plastic-degrading microbial consortia and enzymes. Combined with metatranscriptomics and metabolomics, metagenomics can identify and select remediation-efficient microbes in their natural habitats. Advances in bioinformatics and sequencing tools enable rapid screening, mining, and prediction of genes involved in polymer degradation. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the growing threat of microplastics globally and emphasizes the role of metagenomics and computational biology in developing effective strategies for MP remediation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tariq Shah, Ahmad Ali, Ghulam Haider, Muhammad Asad, Fazal Munsif
Summary: Despite the benefits of plastics in daily life, the accumulation of plastics in the environment, especially microplastics, can cause problems and potential loss of ecosystem services. This study investigated the effects of different types of microplastics on plant growth, soil enzyme activities, and microbial communities. The results showed that microplastics had a positive impact on plant growth but suppressed soil enzyme activities, except for urease activity. Microplastics also altered the structure and metabolic status of the microbial community. It was concluded that microplastics in soil are not benign and measures should be taken to restrict their access to the soil-plant system and food chain.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caspar T. J. Roebroek, Shaun Harrigan, Tim H. M. van Emmerik, Calum Baugh, Dirk Eilander, Christel Prudhomme, Florian Pappenberger
Summary: Research shows that riverine plastic pollution significantly increases under flood conditions, even reaching several orders of magnitude higher; flood defences can effectively reduce plastic mobilisation, but regions vulnerable to flooding often have high plastic mobilisation potential; comprehensive measures are needed for clean-up, mitigation, and flood risk management.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
S. Gundogdu, O. T. Eroldogan, E. Evliyaoglu, G. M. Turchini, X. G. Wu
Summary: Through a global sampling approach, this study assessed the plastic content and composition in commercial fishmeal products, revealing a wide range of plastics content in different products from various countries. The results indicate that certain fishmeal products have higher levels of plastics, posing a higher plastic intake risk for carnivorous fish species consuming them.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Olivia McKay, Grace Pold, Philip Martin, Seeta Sistla
Summary: Agricultural macroplastic contamination can significantly impact soil microbial communities, contrary to previous expectations. Both polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) macrofragments provide a distinct microbial habitat with higher microbial biomass and nutrient availability compared to the surrounding bulk soil.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Lucy M. Greenfield, Martine Graf, Saravanan Rengaraj, Rafael Bargiela, Gwion Williams, Peter N. Golyshin, David R. Chadwick, Davey L. Jones
Summary: Microplastic contamination in agroecosystems is a growing concern, but the effects of biodegradable plastics on soil function remain uncertain. This study found that the addition of conventional microplastics reduced cumulative N2O emissions in winter barley, but had no observable effects on crop yield, microbial communities, and soil biochemical properties. Long-term field experiments at realistic dose rates are needed to accurately assess the risks microplastics pose to agroecosystem health.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Won Joon Shim, Seung-Kyu Kim, Jongsu Lee, Soeun Eo, Ji-Su Kim, Chengjun Sun
Summary: By comparing monitoring methods and contamination levels of marine micro- and macroplastics in seawater between the North Pacific and other ocean basins, this study found that the North Pacific is heavily monitored for microplastics and shows high pollution levels globally. The Mediterranean Sea, on the other hand, is more focused on monitoring macroplastics. The study also suggests the importance of standardized methods and increased efforts in gathering monitoring data for both microplastics and floating macroplastics in seawater worldwide.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jie Ma, Fengyuan Chen, Huo Xu, Jingli Liu, Ciara Chun Chen, Zhen Zhang, Hao Jiang, Yanping Li, Ke Pan
Summary: Billions of discarded masks have entered the oceans since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A study reveals that after 30 days of exposure in natural seawater, masks undergo significant aging and become covered with microbial colonies and fouling organisms. These findings provide fundamental data for managing this important plastic waste during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anni Li, Haiyang Cui, Yijie Sheng, Jie Qiao, Xiujuan Li, He Huang
Summary: Plastic pollution is a pressing global environmental issue due to the difficulty in degrading post-consumer plastics, which has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in plastic-based medical waste. In the post-pandemic era, the challenge is to motivate global action towards a plastic circular economy. This review highlights the threat of plastic pollution during COVID-19 and proposes the concept of regeneration value from plastic waste, along with four pathways to achieve a sustainable circular economy.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Michael S. Bank, Peter W. Swarzenski, Carlos M. Duarte, Matthias C. Rillig, Albert A. Koelmans, Marc Metian, Stephanie Wright, Jennifer F. Provencher, Monica Sanden, Adrian Jordaan, Martin Wagner, Martin Thiel, Yong Sik Ok
Summary: The urgent need for an integrated, global monitoring system for plastic pollution to provide comprehensive, harmonized data for environmental, societal, and economic assessments is emphasized in this article. The proposed earth-system-level plastic observation system aims to collect and assess the scale and impacts of plastic pollution across various ecosystems, including air, land, water, and biota. It strives to integrate new information, identify pollution hotspots, and expand monitoring from marine environments to encompass all ecosystem types in order to support public policy and corporate contributions to relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Victor Onink, Cleo E. Jongedijk, Matthew J. Hoffman, Erik van Sebille, Charlotte Laufkoetter
Summary: Research indicates that within the first 5 years of entering the ocean, at least 77% of positively buoyant marine plastic debris (PBMPD) released from land-based sources is either beached or floating in coastal waters. The highest concentrations of beached PBMPD are found in Southeast Asia due to high plastic inputs from land and limited offshore transport, although the absolute concentrations are generally overestimates compared to field measurements. Additionally, the origin of beached plastic debris varies, with some exclusive economic zones having plastic originating almost entirely from within the zone while in other EEZs, particularly remote islands, the vast majority of beached plastic debris arrives from remote sources.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melania Fiore, Silvia Fraterrigo Garofalo, Alessandro Migliavacca, Alessandro Mansutti, Debora Fino, Tonia Tommasi
Summary: Microplastics pollution is a significant environmental challenge that threatens ecosystems and living species. It is crucial to reduce further emissions and collect existing microplastics.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maryam Hoseini, Tom Bond
Summary: This study provides the first quantitative global prediction of the distribution of various polymers, plastic fibers, and rubber in different environmental compartments. The findings highlight the accumulation of plastic in urban soils and ocean shorelines, as well as the concentration of high-density plastics in freshwater systems and the ocean. Additionally, a significant amount of environmental rubber is predicted to accumulate in soil.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Shilpa, Nitai Basak, Sumer Singh Meena
Summary: The abundance of synthetic polymers in the environment has increased due to uncontrolled utilization and disposal, leading to concerns about accumulation and saturation. Plastic pollution has risen exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to single-use plastics such as PPE kits, gloves, and face masks. Physicochemical methods for degrading synthetic polymers have limited efficiency and produce hazardous by-products. However, microbial species isolated from landfills and dumpsites have shown promise in utilizing plastics as a carbon source, energy, and biomass production. Microbial biodegradation approaches offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to the plastic waste problem, with the potential to be combined with physicochemical methods for optimal results.
FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Joao Pinto da Costa
Summary: The early 2000's saw a growing awareness of the environmental disaster caused by plastics, leading to various initiatives and policies to tackle plastic pollution. However, the 2020 COVID19 pandemic has disrupted these efforts, with concerns over increased plastic pollution and consumption of single-use plastics. This disruption has also caused delays in plastic pollution reduction policies and initiatives.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Garabed Antranikian, Wolfgang R. Streit
Summary: This article addresses the major global challenges of fossil fuel-driven climate change, global plastic pollution, and emerging plant, human, and animal infections. It emphasizes the need for a dramatic transformation in both science and society to meet these challenges and advocates for intense research and development in (bio)technology and industrial bioprocesses for a zero-carbon sustainable bioeconomy. The article highlights the significant role of microorganisms, especially extremophiles, as technology drivers in this transition, and outlines urgent areas of microbial research and technology advancements for a circular bioeconomy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuchen Han, Birhanu M. Kinfu, Fabian Blombach, Gwenny Cackett, Hongli Zhang, Pablo Perez-Garcia, Ines Krohn, Jesper Salomon, Volkan Besirlioglu, Tayebeh Mirzaeigarakani, Ulrich Schwaneberg, Jennifer Chow, Finn Werner, Wolfgang R. Streit
Summary: Metagenomics is a powerful tool to discover novel proteins and other valuable biomolecules. However, function-based metagenome searches are often limited by the time-consuming expression of active proteins. In this study, researchers identified a novel single-subunit bacteriophage RNA polymerase, EM1 RNAP, from a metagenome data set obtained from an elephant dung microbiome. They developed an efficient medium-throughput pipeline and protocol using EM1 RNAP and a translation-competent Escherichia coli extract to express metagenome-derived genes and produce proteins in a cell-free system, allowing for initial testing of predicted activities.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yekaterina Astafyeva, Marno Gurschke, Wolfgang R. Streit, Ines Krohn
Summary: Based on previous research, an artificial plant-bacteria system was established to study the mutualistic collaboration between a microalga and its microbiome. The study focused on the mechanism of a type IX secretion system (T9SS) and its role in the attachment and invasion of the microalga by a bacterial isolate. Genome analysis revealed the presence of T9SS genes and other genes associated with gliding motility and protein secretion. The study proposed a model for the T9SS apparatus of the bacterial isolate and examined the bacterial colonization and penetration into the cell wall of the microalga.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Charlotte Marie Ahle, Kristian Stodkilde, Anja Poehlein, Mechthild Boemeke, Wolfgang R. Streit, Horst Wenck, Joern Hendrik Reuter, Jennifer Huepeden, Holger Brueggemann
Summary: Research has found that the human skin is inhabited by a large number of microbes, collectively known as the skin microbiome. Among them, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes are the most common members. The study reveals that Staphylococcus epidermidis can selectively exclude acne-associated bacteria and coexist with healthy skin-associated bacteria, thus contributing to the maintenance of healthy skin homeostasis through regulation of antimicrobial activity.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Robert F. Dierkes, Alan Wypych, Pablo Perez-Garcia, Dominik Danso, Jennifer Chow, Wolfgang R. Streit
Summary: A fluorescent biosensor based on Comamonas thiooxidans strain S23 was constructed in this study. This biosensor has high sensitivity and can detect the PET breakdown product TPA at concentrations as low as 10 μM. Therefore, it can be used for the detection of enzymatic PET breakdown products.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Weigert, Pablo Perez-Garcia, Florian J. Gisdon, Andreas Gagsteiger, Kristine Schweinshaut, G. Matthias Ullmann, Jennifer Chow, Wolfgang R. Streit, Birte Hoecker
Summary: The handling of plastic waste and microplastic has become one of the greatest challenges of our time. Recent studies on plastic degrading enzymes have provided new prospects for biological decomposition and recycling. In this study, the candidate PET6 enzyme from Vibrio gazogenes was chosen for further investigation. The characterization of PET6 revealed its widespread occurrence in various Vibrio strains and its superior ability to degrade polyethylene terephthalate under high salt concentrations. Mutations from other PET degrading enzymes were introduced to PET6 to enhance its activity, demonstrating the evolutionary potential of the enzyme. The crystal structure and molecular dynamics simulations of PET6 provided insights into its adaptation to saline environments. The findings suggest that Vibrio and the PET6 enzyme are worthy subjects for studying PET degradation in marine environments.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Uwe Mamat, Manuel Hein, Doerte Grella, Claire S. Taylor, Thomas Scholzen, Ifey Alio, Wolfgang R. Streit, Pol Huedo, Xavier Coves, Oscar Conchillo-Sole, Andromeda-Celeste Gomez, Isidre Gibert, Daniel Yero, Ulrich E. Schaible
Summary: Using a Tn7-based genomic integration system, improved mini-Tn7 delivery plasmids were constructed to label S. maltophilia with sfGFP, mCherry, tdTomato, and mKate2. The transposition of mini-Tn7 transposons had no adverse effects on the fitness of fluorescently labeled S. maltophilia derivatives. The mini-Tn7 elements remained stably integrated in the genome of S. maltophilia over a prolonged period of time in the absence of antibiotic selection pressure.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Leon Klose, Neele Meyer-Heydecke, Sasipa Wongwattanarat, Jennifer Chow, Pablo Perez Garcia, Camille Carre, Wolfgang Streit, Garabed Antranikian, Ana Malvis Romero, Andreas Liese
Summary: Epoxy resins are highly valued for their properties and applications, but the challenge lies in their non-biodegradability and unsustainable recycling methods. Recent progress has been made in plastic biodegradation, but mainly focuses on other polymers, leaving epoxy underrepresented. This review examines the approaches and challenges in biodegradation and recycling of epoxy, and highlights the analytical techniques used.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hongli Zhang, Robert F. F. Dierkes, Pablo Perez-Garcia, Elisa Costanzi, Jonas Dittrich, Pablo A. A. Cea, Marno Gurschke, Violetta Applegate, Kristina Partus, Christel Schmeisser, Christopher Pfleger, Holger Gohlke, Sander H. J. Smits, Jennifer Chow, Wolfgang R. R. Streit
Summary: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used synthetic polymer that contaminates marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The diene lactone hydrolase PET40 has been identified as an esterase with activity on PET, along with a broad substrate spectrum. PET40 is highly conserved within the Gram-positive Amycolatopsis and Streptomyces genera.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mandy Dittmer, Florian H. H. Brill, Andreas Kampe, Maria Geffken, Julian-Dario Rembe, Raphael Moll, Ifey Alio, Wolfgang R. Streit, Eike Sebastian Debus, Ralf Smeets, Ewa Klara Stuermer
Summary: Biofilms in hard-to-heal wounds are a significant issue, often composed of different species and resistant to antimicrobial agents. This study quantitatively analyzed the tolerance of dual-species wound biofilm models to antimicrobials and antimicrobial dressings, finding that the efficacy and tolerance were nearly species-independent.