Isolation, Identification and Screening of Plastic-Degrading Microorganisms: Qualitative and Structural Effects on...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Rising plastic pollution necessitates novel biodegradation solutions.
• Bioplastics often require specific conditions for degradation, limiting their environmental application.
• Microorganisms from landfill soils offer a promising avenue for plastic degradation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and identify soil microorganisms with the capacity to degrade plastic materials.
• To evaluate the plastic-degrading potential of selected bacterial strains on poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) films.
• To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial plastic degradation.

Main Methods:

• Soil samples were collected for bacterial isolation and characterization.
• Molecular identification was performed to identify bacterial species.
• Degradative capacity was assessed using the zone of clearing method and SEM analysis on PBS films in liquid culture.

Main Results:

• Three bacterial strains, Bacillus cereus CHU4R, Acinetobacter baumannii YUCAN, and Pseudomonas otitidis YUC44, were identified.
• These strains demonstrated significant degradation of PBS films, evidenced by surface damage and ester bond hydrolysis.
• Microbial activity led to the breakdown of lower-molecular-weight PBS compounds.

Conclusions:

• This study reports, for the first time, plastic-degrading microbial strains isolated from Yucatán.
• The identified bacteria effectively degrade PBS films through surface and molecular-level structural damage.
• These findings highlight the potential application of these microbial strains in plastic biodegradation strategies.