Conceptual molecular model of PET hydrolase (PETase),a plastic-degrading enzyme from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis,with plastic bottles in its active site. I. sakaiensis was discovered in 2016 in sediment near a plastic bottle recycling facility in Japan. It is able to use the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as its primary energy source. PETase converts PET to the smaller molecule mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid (MHET) and ethylene glycol. MHET is then further broken down to terephthalic acid (TPA). The products of this degradation are environmentally harmless. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Andrade, Ramon / 3dciencia |
Bildgröße: | 4827 px × 3620 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |