We were recently interviewed and featured in an official press release by the Universidad Técnica de Ambato, highlighting our ongoing research on enzyme-based plastic recycling. In this context, our team reported a significant advance in the enzymatic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer widely used in bottles and food packaging that is notoriously resistant to environmental degradation.
Plastic pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges worldwide, and PET can persist in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years if not properly managed. Conventional recycling strategies are often energy-intensive and lead to material downcycling. Our recent work explores an alternative approach based on enzyme engineering and biotechnology, identifying enzymes capable of degrading PET up to ten times more efficiently than commonly studied reference enzymes.
Our research is part of a collaborative project involving national academic partners and supported by CEDIA (Corporación Ecuatoriana para el Desarrollo de la Investigación y la Academia). The project combines:
- Computational enzyme modeling and simulation
- Recombinant enzyme production
- Experimental validation of PET degradation in the laboratory
Through this integrated approach, the team identified enzyme variants with significantly enhanced catalytic activity toward PET, outperforming commonly studied PET-degrading enzymes under comparable conditions. This discovery represents an important step toward biotechnological solutions for plastic waste management. Enzymatic PET degradation offers several advantages over traditional recycling methods:
- Lower energy requirements
- High specificity and selectivity
- Potential for closed-loop recycling through monomer recovery
- Reduced environmental footprint
This work reinforces the growing role of enzyme engineering and environmental biotechnology in addressing global sustainability challenges. It also highlights how research conducted in Ecuador is contributing to cutting-edge solutions with global relevance, aligned with circular economy principles and sustainable development goals.
📌 This post is based on an official press release published by Universidad Técnica de Ambato:
https://utasaladeprensa.blogspot.com/2026/01/enzimas-degradan-plastico-pet-hasta-10.html
Molecular Biology and Applied Biotechnology Lab 