A comprehensive biotechnological and molecular insight into plastic degradation by microbial community

Environmental pollution by petrochemical plastic is a matter of serious global concern. Several microbes have the potential to degrade synthetic polymers with the aid of various genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways. However, the biodegradation of petrochemical plastics by natural microbes is inherently slow. The slow rate of degradation stems from the high molecular weight, strong chemical bonding, and extremely hydrophobic nature of polymer, all of which hinder biodegradability. Nevertheless, the role of genes, enzymes, and interactions between microbes and plastic as a substrate has been inadequately explored. Notably, several biotechnological approaches (such as synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and bioinformatics tools) have been developed for the efficient biodegradation of synthetic polymers. Further, exploiting the degradative potential of microbes, plastic wastes can be utilized as feedstock for the production of high value compounds. This will not only avert environmental pollution but would also facilitate waste management and circular economy. However, the major limitations to these approaches are lack of experimental validations in real world. In this regard, the present review provides a comprehensive assessment of the biotechnological and molecular advancement in plastic biodegradation to facilitate a better understanding of the role of microbes, genes, enzymes, and biodegradation pathways in plastic mineralization. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry