(67h) Developing Synthetic Microbial Consortia for PET Upcycling

The global rise in plastic pollution is having harmful effects on the environment, wildlife, and human health. One promising approach to address this issue involves using engineered microorganisms to convert plastics into valuable products. However, this process is complex and presents significant challenges. In our research, we introduce a synthetic microbial community engineered to efficiently degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolysate and transform it into useful chemicals. This community operates by dividing labor among specialized microbes. Compared to using a single organism, this consortium approach reduces metabolic pathway interference and accelerates the breakdown of plastic monomers. Our findings demonstrate the potential of engineered microbial consortia as an effective platform for plastic upcycling, advancing environmental sustainability.