Molecular model of PET hydrolase (PETase), a plastic-degrading enzyme from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis. I. sakaiensis was discovered in 2016 in


Molecular model of PET hydrolase (PETase), a plastic-degrading enzyme from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis. 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.


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Photo credit: © RAMON ANDRADE 3DCIENCIA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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