Abstract
The molecular recycling of plastic polymers using enzymes and engineered pathways will be carried out. Thermophilic enzymes and microbial hosts will be used to break down the polymers polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). We have begun to build enzyme systems to break down PET using new PETases and combine these with microbial pathways to either generate terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol or to modify the aromatic structures to higher value compounds. Similar approaches will be carried out with potent oxidative systems to insert oxygen/hydroxyls into the highly recalcitrant PE and PP polymers.
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