Wei Ren, Westh Peter, Weber Gert, Blank Lars M, Bornscheuer Uwe T
Department of Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
Nat Commun. 2025 May 20;16(1):4684. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60016-9.
Enzymatic depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) towards monomer recycling offers a green route to a circular plastic economy, with scale-up currently underway. Yet, inconsistent assessment methods hinder clear comparisons between various PET hydrolases. This Perspective aims to identify critical gaps in this dynamic research field and outline key principles for selecting and tailoring novel enzymes, such as using uniform PET samples and standardizing reaction settings that mimic industrial conditions. Applying these guidelines will improve enzyme screening efficiency, increase data reproducibility, deepen the understanding of interfacial biocatalysis, and ultimately accelerate the development of more robust and cost-effective bio-based PET recycling methods.
将聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）进行酶促解聚以实现单体循环利用，为循环塑料经济提供了一条绿色途径，目前正在进行扩大规模的工作。然而，评估方法不一致阻碍了对各种PET水解酶进行清晰的比较。本观点文章旨在找出这一动态研究领域中的关键差距，并概述选择和定制新型酶的关键原则，例如使用统一的PET样品以及标准化模拟工业条件的反应设置。应用这些指导方针将提高酶筛选效率，增强数据的可重复性，加深对界面生物催化的理解，并最终加速开发更强大且更具成本效益的基于生物的PET回收方法。
