Toward plastic waste biorefineries: consolidated bioprocessing of polyesters

Abstract

Plastic waste is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental burden but also as a carbon feedstock for plastic waste biorefineries. This concept is supported by recent advances in the discovery and engineering of polyester hydrolases, as well as the development of microbial hosts capable of metabolizing depolymerization products. Among the major plastic classes, polyesters provide the most practical biological entry point because their hydrolyzable ester bonds enable enzymatic depolymerization into soluble monomers that can subsequently be taken up and assimilated by microorganisms. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) has been proposed as a promising strategy for plastic waste biorefineries. CBP integrates upstream biological depolymerization with downstream microbial utilization of the released monomers. Achieving this process integration depends on the coordination of hydrolase expression and localization, polymer depolymerization, monomer uptake, assimilation, and product formation within a single biological system. However, practical implementation remains limited by the lack of robust host strains capable of performing these functions, together with the challenge of establishing compatible process configurations. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the biological modules required for CBP of polyesters and discuss current integration architectures, key engineering bottlenecks, and design priorities for developing CBP-ready strains for economically viable plastic waste biorefineries.

Keywords

Plastic waste biorefinery / Consolidated bioprocessing / Polyesters / Enzymatic depolymerization / Microbial assimilation

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Funding

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

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