Can Escherichia coli, the working horse of biotechnology, get us out of plastic wastage?
Authors: Mathias Fink & Gerald Striedner, BOKU Plastics of various kinds have conquered almost all areas of human life and their properties allow a wide variety of applications. However, man’s careless use of plastic leads to ubiquitous environmental pollution (water, soil, air), and the common approach of single use followed by disposal through landfill or […]
The relevance of ethics in the development of enzymatic plastic recycling approaches
Author: Katrin Weinhandl, acib GmbH What does the topic of ethics have to do with research on enzymatic plastics recycling? Ethical considerations play an important role in any research approach that conforms to the concept of responsible research and innovation (RRI). Wikipedia explains RRI as a term that “describes scientific research and technological development processes […]
ENZYCLE News No 5
Our newsletter issue No 5 from December 2022 is now available! Enjoy reading about our highlights from the past 6 months. Not yet subscribed? Get our news directly in your mailbox here.
Harnessing new polymer-degrading enzymes directly from nature
Authors: Kristie Tanner, Darwin & Christian Sonnendecker, University of Leipzig Microorganisms can be found inhabiting even the most remote and extreme locations of our planet. Their extraordinary array of metabolic routes coupled with their rapid doubling time and high evolution rate, make them capable of adapting to almost any environment. For example, if an environment […]
A PET degrading enzyme in German magazines
Christian Sonnendecker, Wolfgang Zimmermann (Univ. Leipzig) and their PET degrading enzyme The enzyme PHL7 shows high efficiency in plastic recycling, which attracted lots of interest in German magazines! In the journal “BIOspektrum”, the enzyme PHL7 is described as a crucial component for the enzymatic hydrolysis of PET. The article discusses the possibilities and limitations for […]
The landscape of enzymatic plastic recycling projects in Europe
Author: Katrin Weinhandl, ACIB Over the last twenty years, plastic has become one of the most important materials in various industrial sectors. Plastic consumption is increasing rapidly. The other side of the coin, however, is growing mountains of plastic waste and polluted oceans. Experts agree that we need to do more to improve plastic recycling […]
Enzymes for industrial recycling processes
Author: Arno Cordes, ASA Spezialenzyme GmbH Since more than 70 years enzymes are used in different industrial areas as detergents, food and feed, textile and paper processing. Mainly employed enzymes are proteases, amylases, pectinases, cellulases and hemicellulases. The worldwide turnover for technical enzymes was estimated to be around 10 billion USD in 2020. Beside these […]
ENZYCLE Newsletter No 4
Our newsletter issue No 4 is out! Enjoy reading about our highlights from the past 6 months. Not yet subscribed? Get our news directly in your mailbox here.
Webinar “The power of enzymes: How to valorise multilayer packaging and microplastics”
Part 1 of the ENZYCLE stakeholder workshop On 13th July 2022, the first ENZYCLE stakeholder workshop takes place in Valencia, Spain. The open part will be broadcasted as a webinar and will inform about our concept to treat non-recycled plastic fractions with microbial enzymes. Current findings about PET enzyme development, enzyme production processes and recycling […]
The environmental and economic impact of enzymatic plastic recycling
