Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene: Use of 13C-PE for confirmation and quantification of mineralization

• Grant number: 24/21501-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: October 05, 2025
• End date: April 24, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Michel Brienzo
• Grantee: Mateus Manabu Abe
• Supervisor: Helge Niemann
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa em Bioenergia (IPBEN). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Royal Netherlands Institute For Sea Research, Texel, Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/08058-2 - Management of inorganic and organic waste through biodegradation and polymer blend formulations, BP.DR

Abstract

The demand of society for different types of materials manufactured by humankind has grown exponentially since the Industrial Revolution. With advances in technology and the potential for diverse applications, materials based on natural polymers, glass, and ceramics have increasingly been replaced by petroleum-derived polymers. One such material is plastic, which, due to its wide range of potential applications, low manufacturing cost, and inertness to both biological and abiotic agents, has become one of the primary uses of crude oil in its processing. Despite the advantages of plastic resins for various industrial, urban, and domestic sectors, plastics have become one of the major concerns in recent years regarding their environmental impact. Despite improvements in the fields of chemical and physical recycling, incineration, landfilling, and the use of enzymes and microorganisms, all of these plastic waste management strategies remain inefficient and continue to generate environmental impacts. However, biodegradation and the use of enzymes are increasingly being considered as strategies with reduced environmental impacts, although the efficiency of the process remains a major challenge, along with economic feasibility. Therefore, the present exchange proposal through BEPE-FAPESP will allow for confirmation of whether thermophilic bacterial isolates have the capacity to biodegrade poly ethylene, i.e. whether the selected microorganisms mineralize polyethylene to CO2 and/or assimilate the plastic. Furthermore, the BEPE program will strengthen the partnership between laboratories and universities, complementing the results obtained in Brazil, where there are limitations in knowledge and infrastructure related to the application of carbon isotopes. Thus, the investigation of the mineralization step, based on the confirmation of the assimilation of the carbon isotope, will allow corroboration of the biodegradation potential of the bacteria.