Insights into the metabolism of plastic-eating bacteria

Plastic-eating bacteria could help to curb the global waste problem in the future. But many questions remain unanswered. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have now shown for the first time how bacteria of the genus Halopseudomonas break down common plastic coatings made of polyester urethane. The metabolic pathways and enzymes described underline the relevance of the newly isolated bacterium for the biodegradation of plastics and pave the way for its application.