A team of researchers from China, Denmark, and the United Kingdom has analyzed over 43,000 genomes of marine microorganisms and identified previously unknown substances for breaking down microplastics and producing antimicrobial agents.
As reported in the scientific journal Nature, scientists have discovered three enzymes capable of breaking down common plastics that pollute oceans and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - another serious problem for the environment and human health.
This is not the first scientific discovery of this kind: previously, researchers discovered the proteobacterium Ideonella sakaiensis and the filamentous fungus Fusarium oxysporum, which decompose PET materials, as well as Pestalotiopsis microspora, which absorbs polyurethane.
According to Professor of Marine Biology Thomas Mock, the interaction between marine microbes and the environment contributes to the habitability of the Earth. "Factors such as salinity, temperature fluctuations, light availability, and pressure changes influence the adaptation and co-evolution of oceanic microbes," he explained.
The new study has significantly expanded our knowledge of marine microbiomes through the creation of a new publicly available database of approximately 24,200 species-level genomes.
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