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Una enzima de ingeniería incrustada en el PLA para hacer plástico autodegradable
M Guicherd1,2, M Ben Khaled1, M Guéroult1,2
1Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France.
Nature
|July 17, 2024
Resumen
Un nuevo plástico de polilactido (PLA) incorpora una enzima optimizada para una rápida biodegradación. Esta película de PLA enzimada cumple con los estándares de compostaje doméstico dentro de las 24 semanas, ofreciendo una solución sostenible para los residuos plásticos.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Ciencias de los materiales
- Biotecnología
- Ciencias del medio ambiente
Sus antecedentes:
- La producción mundial de plástico, en particular los artículos de un solo uso, genera una contaminación ambiental significativa.
- Se buscan plásticos biodegradables y compostables como soluciones para la gestión de residuos.
- El polilactido (PLA), un plástico de base biológica común, muestra una lenta biodegradación en el suelo y en entornos de compostaje doméstico.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Desarrollar un plástico a base de polilactido (PLA) con una biodegradación y compostabilidad mejoradas y rápidas a temperatura ambiente.
- Diseñar una hidrolasa de PLA hipertermostable con una actividad significativamente mejorada.
- Para integrar esta enzima en el PLA utilizando un proceso industrial escalable para aplicaciones prácticas.
Principales métodos:
- Ingeniería racional basada en la estructura de una hidrolasa PLA, logrando un aumento de actividad de 80 veces.
- Dispersión de la enzima en el PLA a través de un masterbatch de policaprolactona (PCL) mediante extrusión en fusión.
- Producción de una película de PLA enzimada (0,02% de enzima) mediante extrusión de fusión a 160 °C.
Principales resultados:
- La película de PLA enzimada alcanzó la desintegración completa en condiciones de compostaje doméstico en un plazo de 20 a 24 semanas.
- El material cumplía con las normas establecidas para el compostaje doméstico.
- La película enzimática demostró propiedades mecánicas adecuadas para el envasado industrial y estabilidad durante el almacenamiento.
Conclusiones:
- Se ha establecido un proceso escalable industrialmente para crear plásticos de PLA rápidamente biodegradables.
- Este PLA enzimado ofrece una solución viable para la gestión de residuos plásticos y apoya las aplicaciones en el compostaje y la producción de biometano.
- La compatibilidad del material con los requisitos de embalaje industrial y la estabilidad de almacenamiento resaltan su potencial práctico.
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