Enzyme from compost microbe targets polyurethane and nylon

Biochemistry

Researchers from Aarhus University and the Danish Technical University have isolated an enzyme from a compost-heap microbe that degrades polyurethane and nylon. This specific enzyme demonstrates greater stability than previous candidates identified for these materials. The degradation rate is honestly abysmal, with less than 1% of polyurethane mattress foam broken down over three days. However, the fact that a single natural enzyme hits two different, high-stability plastics is a legitimate win. Stability is often the primary hurdle in biocatalysis; having a robust protein scaffold provides a necessary starting point for future directed evolution to improve the actual kinetics.

Source

Compost microbe yields enzyme that tackles polyurethane foam and nylon