Consumption of plastics is expected to double in the coming 20 years and plastics production will account for a greatly increased share of global oil use and GHG emissions. This increase will have a significant environmental impact since it is estimated that by 2050 the oceans could contain more plastic than fish. It is thus mandatory to promote a more sustainable use of plastics, foster plastics recycling, and shift towards the use of biobased plastics, thus reducing the consumption of fossil resources.
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is one of the most widely used synthetic polymers in packaging and beverage industry. Although its recycling at post-consumer level is an increasing need, most of the currently available mechanical and chemical technologies to recycle this plastic polymer show technical and economic constraints, as well as environmental problems. Moreover, biological recycling of PET is still largely underexploited because of the lack of a reliable biological system (microorganisms and/or enzymes) that could be used in large scale industrial processes. In this scenario, the use of insects as a primary agent for PET waste reduction, as recently proposed, could contribute to relieve problems related to its management.
NICE-PET is a science-driven project that relies on a transdisciplinary approach and brings together different scientific expertise. THE PROJECT AIMS AT USING THE LARVAE OF BLACK SOLDIER FLY (BSF), Hermetia illucens, one of the most promising systems for the development of bioconversion technologies for waste processing and valorization, AS A BIOREACTOR TO EFFICIENTLY REDUCE PET WASTE. The larval biomass can be exploited to generate biobased products as protein-based materials and biofuels.
To this aim, four specific research objectives have been conceived: (i) in vitro evolution of microbial PET-degrading enzymes (PETases); (ii) generation of H. illucens larvae that express PETases at gut level through the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system; (iii) exploitation of larval gut microbiota to improve PET biodegradation; and (iv) optimization of BSF-mediated PET biotransformation
The expected outcomes of the project will generate innovation and provide a significant scientific and technological improvement about: new system for the management and valorization of PET through insect-mediated bioconversion; fresh knowledge and know-how about the molecular evolution of plastic degrading enzymes; development of innovative protocols for the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to produce knock-in variants of BSF with potential biotechnological applications in waste management; better knowledge on BSF microbiota; evaluation of the socioeconomic feasibility of the proposed BSF-based technology/application.
Collectively, the information generated by NICE-PET will lead to the development of an unprecedented and sustainable biotechnological solution for the treatment of PET and contribute to the creation of a circular supply chain based on the biological reprocessing of plastic waste, with a significant impact on social and environmental issues.