Conceptual molecular model of PET hydrolase (PETase), a plastic-degrading enzyme from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis, with plastic bottles in its
Conceptual molecular model of PET hydrolase (PETase), a plastic-degrading enzyme from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis, with plastic bottles in its active site. I. sakaiensis was discovered in 2016 in sediment near a plastic bottle recycling facility in Japan. It is able to use the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as its primary energy source. PETase converts PET to the smaller molecule mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid (MHET) and ethylene glycol. MHET is then further broken down to terephthalic acid (TPA). The products of this degradation are environmentally harmless.
Size: 4827px × 3620px
Photo credit: © RAMON ANDRADE 3DCIENCIA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, acid, active, artwork, background, bacterial, biochemical, biochemistry, biodegradation, biological, biology, bioremediation, bottle, concepts, conceptual, cut, cut-, cut-outs, cutout, cutouts, degradation, degrader, degraders, eating, environment, environmental, enzyme, hydrolase, illustration, mhet, microbial, microbiological, microbiology, model, molecular, molecule, mono, outs, pet, petase, plastic, plastic-eating, pollution, polyethylene, polymerisation, recycling, site, solution, structure, terephthalate, terephthalic, white
