Innovation

Part 1 Breakthrough in Enzyme Activity

SUPERB has developed a highly efficient plastic-degrading enzyme, the IsPETase PA mutant T122R. Under optimal conditions ,40°C and pH 9.0, T122R maintained its highest enzyme activity, achieving a 130% increase compared to IsPETase PA . Notably, under acidic conditions 30°C and pH 6.0, the enzyme activity increased by 475.1%, significantly enhancing its plastic degradation capabilities in acidic environments. Furthermore, under neutral conditions 30°C and pH 7.0, its enzyme activity improved by 66%, demonstrating its potential in applications such as bacterial cellulose production. The results indicate that the mutant enzyme exhibits significantly improved acid-alkali tolerance and enhanced activity, providing a solid foundation for broader research and applications. This study offers valuable insights for optimizing enzyme performance and enhancing plastic degradation efficiency. It establishes a robust foundation for exploring the adaptability of plastic-degrading enzymes under various environmental conditions. SUPERB’s findings deepen the understanding of enzyme activity regulation and provide strong support for industrial-scale applications. This innovation makes a significant contribution to advancing plastic waste treatment technologies and offers practical solutions for addressing global plastic pollution challenges.

Part 2 Economic effect

SUPERB creatively utilizes the degradation products of PET, EG and TPA, to produce bacterial cellulose (BC), which promotes resource recycling and environmental protection while also advancing the low-cost and efficient industrial production of BC.

BC is a natural polymer, composed of glucose linearly linked by β-1,4-glycosidicbonds 1 and synthesized by specific micro organisms through staticor dynamic fermentation 2 . It features a micro-nano three-dimensional network structure in terms of physical morphology, and through static fermentation, it can present a macro gel-like film. There has been a surge of research into the efficient fermentation and synthesis of BC and its applications in new areas.

In addition to its widespread application in the food industry , BC has garnered attention in emerging fields due to its high purity (free from lignin, hemi cellulose, pectin, and other biological components), high crystallinity, high mechanical strength, highwater-holding capacity, excellent biocompatibility, and biodegradability 3 .These properties make BC widely applicable in biomedicine 4 5 6 ,cosmetics 7 8 9 ,packaging materials 10 11 12 ,water treatment 13 14 15 ,functional textiles 16 17 18 , and other emerging fields.

Biomedicine

BC can be combined with chitosan to form biocomposite materials for creating new wound dressings 5 ; BC can also be introduced as a functional coating on polyester materials to produce medical vascular stents 6 .

Cosmetics

BC gel can be used to load retinol and poly (ethylene oxide)-b-polycaprolactone nanoparticles to create functional facial masks 8 ; BC membranes can be doped with ionic liquids, choline cations, and vitamin B to create active masks for skin care 9 .

Packaging Materials

BC’s excellent air barrier properties can be utilized to create vacuum packaging materials for beef 11 ;it can also be used as a base material for producing edible, transparent,sturdy, and high-barrier packaging materials with a composite coating of soybean protein, calcium alginate, and polyethylene glycol 12 .

Water Treatment

BC can serve as a filtration membrane for wastewater remediation 14 ;BC-based organic-inorganic composite aerogels, prepared through freeze-drying technology and stepwise dip coating, can effectively achieve oil/water separation and remove dyes from wastewater through photocatalytic degradation 15 .

Functional Textiles

BC can be used to create BC-based functional textiles for application in triboelectric nano generators 17 ;a sandwich-structured BC-based functional textile material can also be developed, and based on this textile, an environmentally friendly and recyclable energy harvesting and interactive device can be constructed 18 .

Innovation

Figure 1 The structural formula of bacterial cellulose

As an environmentally friendly bio-nanomaterial, BC has become a crucial member of the bio-based green degradable polymer family, playing a significant role in people’s lives and social development. In 2022, the global bacterial cellulose market size was valued at 426.7 million USD. It is expected that between 2023 and 2032, the market will see a compound annual growth rate of 12.6%, reaching a global market size of 1.417 billion USD by 2032 19 .

References

Footnotes

  1. Jiao Suya, Chen Daibin, Wu Hao, et al. Research progress on the preparation and application of antibacterial bacterial cellulose functional materials [J]. Polymer Bulletin, 2024, 37 (07): 851-867. DOI: 10.14028/j.cnki.1003-3726.2024.23.372. ↩

  2. vbabaeipour@mut.ac.ir,Babaeipour V , Jabbari F ,et al.Bacterial cellulose as a potential biopolymerfor wound care. A review[J].[2024-08-20]. ↩

  3. ZhongC. Industrial-scale production and applications of bacterial cellulose[J].Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2020, 8: 605374. ↩

  4. deMattos I B, Nischwitz S P, Tuca A C, et al. Delivery of antiseptic solutions bya bacterial cellulose wound dressing: Uptake, release and antibacterialefficacy of octenidine and povidone-iodine[J]. Burns, 2020, 46(4): 918-927. ↩

  5. Morais,Eduarda S ,Silva,et al.Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nano structured cellulose membranes loaded with phenolic-based ionic liquids for cutaneous application[J].Carbohydrate Polymers, 2019, 206:187-197. ↩ ↩2

  6. ShiZ, Zhang Y, Phillips G O, et al. Utilization of bacterial cellulose in food[J].Food hydrocolloids, 2014, 35: 539-545. ↩ ↩2

  7. MautnerA , Bismarck A .Bacterial nano cellulose papers with high porosity for optimized permeance and rejection of nm-sized pollutants[J].Carbohydrate polymers, 2021,251:117130.DOI:10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117130. ↩

  8. daSilva C J G, de Medeiros A D L M, de Amorim J D P, et al. Bacterial cellulose biotextiles for the future of sustainable fashion: a review[J]. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2021, 19: 2967-2980. ↩ ↩2

  9. https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/bacterial-cellulose-market ↩ ↩2

  10. StanescuP O , Radu I C , Alexa R L ,et al.Novel chitosan and bacterial cellulose biocomposites tailored with polymeric nanoparticles for modern wound dressingdevelopment[J].[2024-08-20].DOI:10.1080/10717544.2021.1977423. ↩

  11. CharpentierP A , Maguire A , Wan W K .Surface modification of polyester to produce abacterial cellulose-based vascular prosthetic device[J].Applied Surface Science, 2006, 252(18):6360-6367.DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2005.09.064. ↩ ↩2

  12. As low-release system of bacterial cellulose gel and nanoparticles for hydrophobic active ingredients[J].International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2015,486(1-2):217-225.DOI:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.03.068. ↩ ↩2

  13. Chantereau,G.Sharma, M.Abednejad, A.Vilela, C.Costa, E. M.Veiga, M.Antunes, F.Pintado, M.M.Sebe, G.Coma, VFreire, M. G.Freire, C. S. R.Silvestre, A. J. D.Bacterial nanocellulose membranes loaded with vitamin B-based ionic liquids for dermalcare applications[J].Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2020, 302(1). ↩

  14. GedarawatteS T G, Ravensdale J T, Johns M L, et al. Effectiveness of bacterial cellulose in controlling purge accumulation and improving physicochemical,microbiological, and sensorial properties of vacuum‐packaged beef[J]. Journalof food science, 2020, 85(7): 2153-2163. ↩ ↩2

  15. CheungK M, Jiang Z, Ngai T. Edible, strong, and low‐hygroscopic bacterial cellulose derived from biosynthesis and physical modification for food packaging[J].Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2023, 103(13): 6625-6639. ↩ ↩2

  16. Alves A A , Silva W E , Belian M F ,etal.Bacterial cellulose membranes for environmental water remediation andindustrial wastewater treatment[J].International journal of EnvironmentalScience and Technology, 2020, 17(7).DOI:10.1007/s13762-020-02746-5. ↩

  17. JiangJ, Zhu J, Zhang Q, et al. A shape recovery zwitterionic bacterial cellulose aerogel with superior performances for water remediation[J]. Langmuir, 2019,35(37): 11959-11967. ↩ ↩2

  18. KimH J, Yim E C, Kim J H, et al. Bacterial nano‐cellulose triboelectric nanogenerator[J]. Nano Energy, 2017, 33: 130-137. ↩ ↩2

  19. ZhangJ , Hu S ,Shi, ZhijunWang, YifeiLei, YanqiangHan, JingXiong, YaoSun, JiaZheng,LiSun, QijunYang, GuangWang, Zhong Lin.Eco-friendly and recyclable all cellulose triboelectric nanogenerator and self-powered interactive interface[J].Nano Energy, 2021, 89(Pt.A). ↩