MIXed plastics biodegradation and UPcycling using microbial communities: EU Horizon 2020 project MIX-UP started January 2020

Abstract

This article introduces the EU Horizon 2020 research project MIX-UP, "Mixed plastics biodegradation and upcycling using microbial communities". The project focuses on changing the traditional linear value chain of plastics to a sustainable, biodegradable based one. Plastic mixtures contain five of the top six fossil-based recalcitrant plastics [polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PUR), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS)], along with upcoming bioplastics polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polylactate (PLA) will be used as feedstock for microbial transformations. Consecutive controlled enzymatic and microbial degradation of mechanically pre-treated plastics wastes combined with subsequent microbial conversion to polymers and value-added chemicals by mixed cultures. Known plastic-degrading enzymes will be optimised by integrated protein engineering to achieve high specific binding capacities, stability, and catalytic efficacy towards a broad spectrum of plastic polymers under high salt and temperature conditions. Another focus lies in the search and isolation of novel enzymes active on recalcitrant polymers. MIX-UP will formulate enzyme cocktails tailored to specific waste streams and strives to enhance enzyme production significantly. In vivo and in vitro application of these cocktails enable stable, self-sustaining microbiomes to convert the released plastic monomers selectively into value-added products, key building blocks, and biomass. Any remaining material recalcitrant to the enzymatic activities will be recirculated into the process by physicochemical treatment. The Chinese–European MIX-UP consortium is multidisciplinary and industry-participating to address the market need for novel sustainable routes to valorise plastic waste streams. The project's new workflow realises a circular (bio)plastic economy and adds value to present poorly recycled plastic wastes where mechanical and chemical plastic recycling show limits.

Biologically engineered microbes for bioremediation of electronic waste: Wayposts, challenges and future directions

“…The Chinese–European MIX‐UP project, for example, endeavours to create a novel workflow to recycle plastic waste through the use of heavily engineered enzyme cocktails. [82] Through the application of the ‘design, build, test, and learn’ strategy in the engineering of the microbes, synthetic biology can enable a systematic and iterative construction of the engineered microbes and feedback loop analyses. [47] To facilitate genetic engineering, toolkits containing standardised genetic parts for building transcriptional units and operons are needed to generate mutant libraries in vitro for the selection of desirable phenotypes.…”

“…[65] Riding on this approach is the EU Horizon 2020 research project MIX-UP-Mixed plastics biodegradation and upcycling using microbial communities, which ambitions to explore novel sustainable routes to valorise plastic waste streams. [82] The project aims to work towards controlled enzymatic and microbial degradation of pre-treated plastic waste using heavily engineered, plastic type-specific enzyme blends, and subsequent microbial conversion to polymers and value-added chemicals by self-sustaining microbiomes.…”

Sustainable cycloaliphatic polyurethanes: from synthesis to applications

“…Mixed microbial cultures convert the plastic waste into value-added products and building-blocks, before (re-) polymerization or formulation of a 2G polymer, with or without a new architecture. 115…”

Plastic Waste Valorization by Leveraging Multidisciplinary Catalytic Technologies

“… The PET substrate was enzymatically hydrolyzed to its monomers, which were subsequently used as the carbon sources to produce PHAs for direct use through fermentation over an adapted strain (Pseudomonas umsongensis GO16) or as the substrate for biosurfactant production. Despite the high cost required, this method shows promise for transforming low-cost mixed plastics, as the Chinese–European research project MIX-UP. − …”