Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
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Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#2Nice. A few points:
* This protein acts as a PETase - see also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37659327> - but may work at room temperature, and more efficiently
* The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward - it's a modified version of an existing protein from an anemone (see : https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4tsy>)
* The scaffold protein is a pore-forming structure - where multiple trans-membrane helices come together, like melittin in bee venom - so they claim it could work as part of a membrane-bound complex
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#3Nice. A few points: * This protein acts as a PETase - see also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37659327 > - but may work at room temperature, and more efficiently * The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward - it's a modified version of an existing protein from an anemone (see : https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4tsy >) * The scaffold protein is a pore-forming structure - where multiple trans-membrane helices c…
> The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward
I agree. The proper term would be engineered protein, since it is a fusion of two existing protein domains: an already engineered cutinase (a PETase ancestor) with a pore-forming protein (FraC).
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#4Nice. A few points: * This protein acts as a PETase - see also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37659327 > - but may work at room temperature, and more efficiently * The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward - it's a modified version of an existing protein from an anemone (see : https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4tsy >) * The scaffold protein is a pore-forming structure - where multiple trans-membrane helices c…
> The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward I agree. The proper term would be engineered protein , since it is a fusion of two existing protein domains: an already engineered cutinase (a PETase ancestor) with a pore-forming protein (FraC).
What happens if eventually we find this protein in the wild? :)
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#5Nice. A few points: * This protein acts as a PETase - see also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37659327 > - but may work at room temperature, and more efficiently * The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward - it's a modified version of an existing protein from an anemone (see : https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4tsy >) * The scaffold protein is a pore-forming structure - where multiple trans-membrane helices c…
"microplastics in bottles" is even more awkward - I mean, as long as they're part of a bottle, they're by definition not microplastics?
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward I agree. The proper term would be engineered protein , since it is a fusion of two existing protein domains: an already engineered cutinase (a PETase ancestor) with a pore-forming protein (FraC).
What happens if eventually we find this protein in the wild? :)
The entire plastics industry is screwed.
It is only a matter of time before bacteria evolve some way of getting at the energy stored in plastics. Once that happens, once plastics start to "rot" as they are eaten by bacteria, the impacts on our technology could be catastrophic. The world might looks very steampunk as metal and ceramics replace plastics.
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward I agree. The proper term would be engineered protein , since it is a fusion of two existing protein domains: an already engineered cutinase (a PETase ancestor) with a pore-forming protein (FraC).
What happens if eventually we find this protein in the wild? :)
That variant would be a natural/wild-type one.
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#8Major omitted-from-headline limitation: It only works on PET plastic. (AKA "PETE", or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate - recycling number "1" or "01")
Quibble: "microplastics in bottles" looks far more like keyword stuffing then a sensible description.
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The term 'artificial protein' is a bit awkward I agree. The proper term would be engineered protein , since it is a fusion of two existing protein domains: an already engineered cutinase (a PETase ancestor) with a pore-forming protein (FraC).
What happens if eventually we find this protein in the wild? :)
We already make many things from materials that can be degraded by microbes (wood, cotton, leather, etc.). They can be preserved by keeping them dry, or with paint or other surface treatments. For the rare circumstances where this is impossible (e.g. medical devices) we have fluoropolymers, which I'm confident aren't going to get degraded by microbes any time soon.
Re: Scientists create artificial protein that can degrade PET plastics in bottles
#10How about microplastics in the body? :^]