Harnessing bacterial power and omics technologies for sustainable plastic waste biodegradation

Abstract

Plastic pollution constitutes a critical environmental concern of this era, with synthetic polymers, i.e., polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU), accumulating in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at alarming rates. One of the promising solutions to this worldwide problem is microbial plastic degradation, particularly by bacteria that can convert polymeric materials into less toxic compounds. With an emphasis on enzymatic mechanisms, critical environmental and biochemical factors influencing degradation, and the wide variety of bacteria responsible for breaking down synthetic polymers, this review focuses on the enzymatic and genetic aspects underlying bacterial plastic degradation, highlighting key enzymes such as PETase, METase, esterase, and oxidoreductase, as well as representative plastic-degrading bacteria i.e. Thermobifida, Ideonella, Bacillus, Agromyces, Pseudomonas, Schlegelella species. The significance of multi-omics tools, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomics was demonstrated here in deepening our understanding of microbial plastic degradation without depending on pure culture. It explores the key genes and metabolic pathways that facilitate this process. Moreover, how advanced biotechnological techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) can participate in plastic biodegradation through enzyme engineering, activity-enhancing mutation design, predictive modeling, and omics data analysis was illustrated. Furthermore, this review underscores the necessity for integrative and interdisciplinary approaches to effectively harness bacterial metabolism for long-term reduction of plastic pollution. Also, it outlines future research directions and technological priorities for translating bacterial plastic degradation into practical and sustainable remediation solutions.