Exploring Microbial Biodiversity through Computational Approaches for Prospecting Enzymes Active on Plastics

• Grant number: 23/15596-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Felix Persinoti
• Grantee: Giovana Motta de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Plastic is ubiquitous in contemporary society, found in clothing, electronics, and even in sunscreens. To the same extent, it is present in marine food chains and in the vast floating garbage patches in the oceans, representing a global threat. Despite being considered a technological milestone that democratized access to diverse products and revolutionized medicine, plastic is also a significant contributor to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and its mismanaged disposal is resulting in an unprecedented pollution. This pollution persists due to the non-biodegradable and highly resistant nature of most synthetic polymers. Recent advances in biotechnology have opened new perspectives regarding plastics biodegradation, with the discovery of enzymes capable of hydrolyzing PET. However, knowledge about enzymes active on other types of plastics is still scarce, highlighting the importance of more studies to prospect novel enzymatic systems active on synthetic polymers. This project aims to employ computational tools and data mining strategies to investigate omics data derived from microbial communities associated with plastic depolymerization in order to identify novel microorganisms and molecular strategies that enable plastic pollutants processing. With this project, we hope to identify new enzymatic systems active on plastics that can inspire the development of biotechnology solutions for the upcycling of these waste materials, aiming to transform them into high-quality products, thus reducing the environmental impact of plastic pollution.