Microbial and Enzymatic Degradation of Plastics
A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 2265
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plastic pollution is a global threat to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Some naturally occurring polyester materials, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polylactic acid (PLA), are considered biodegradable. Some synthetic polymers derived from petroleum are amenable to natural biodegradation processes, while others are highly recalcitrant to biodegradation. “Biodegradation” is a complex process consisting of “biodeterioration” and leading to “biofragmentation”, which results in “bioassimilation” by the microorganism(s), and ultimately, “mineralization”, which would be the complete conversion of the carbon on the polymer to cell biomass, water, and carbon dioxide. Most papers reporting on the biodegradation of polymers provide evidence of biodeterioration. Some provide evidence of biodeterioration and biofragmentation. Authors usually assume bioassimilation simply because they observe an increase in bacteria or fungal cell mass, but do not provide direct evidence that the bacterial growth is due to assimilation of the carbon. Finally, evidence of mineralization of the polymer is lacking in most biodegradation papers. Each polymer type has its own specific physical–mechanical and thermal properties, which are determined largely by the chemical structure of the polymers. Understanding the mechanisms of polymer degradation by microbes and the enzymes they employ is an essential first step toward a rational, biologically based solution to the plastic pollution problem, leading to the development of engineered processes for disposing of plastic materials. This Special Issue of Fermentation, titled “Microbial and Enzymatic Degradation of Plastics”, will focus on identification and characterization of polymer-degrading microbes and the enzymes they employ to degrade these compounds.
Prof. Dr. David B. Levin
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- polymers
- biodegradation
- biodeterioration
- biofragmentation
- bioassimilation
- natural polyesters
- synthetic polymers
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Dear Colleagues,
Plastic pollution is a global threat to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Some naturally occurring polyester materials, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polylactic acid (PLA), are considered biodegradable. Some synthetic polymers derived from petroleum are amenable to natural biodegradation processes, while others are highly recalcitrant to biodegradation. Most papers reporting on the biodegradation of polymers provide evidence of biodeterioration. Some provide evidence of biodeterioration and biofragmentation. Authors usually assume bioassimilation simply because they observe an increase in bacteria or fungal cell mass, but do not provide direct evidence that the bacterial growth is due to assimilation of the carbon. Finally, evidence of mineralization of the polymer is lacking in most biodegradation papers.
Understanding the mechanisms of polymer degradation by microbes and the enzymes they employ is an essential first step toward a rational, biologically based solution to the plastic pollution problem, leading to the development of engineered processes for disposing of plastic materials. This Special Issue of Fermentation, titled “Microbial and Enzymatic Degradation of Plastics”, will focus on identification and characterization of polymer-degrading microbes and the enzymes they employ to degrade these compounds.
Prof. Dr. David B. Levin
Guest Editor
