Impact of microbial diversity and biofilm formation on degradation mechanisms of microplastic particles in the environment (C04)

• Subject Area: Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology ; Soil Sciences
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 391977956

Microorganisms (MOs, prokaryotes and fungi) are central to the mineralization of microplastics (MP) in the environment and represent a huge and rather unstudied genetic and metabolic degradation potential. Thus, objectives of C04 are to identify new MP-degrading MOs, to elucidate their MP degradation pathways as well as to discover genes encoding for key enzymes associated with MP-degradation, and to understand biological degradation mechanisms in the environment. Pure culture screenings, degradation experiments with environmental samples and identification of key organisms, stable isotope probing with 13C-labelled MP to trace MP-13C-carbon flow and to get metagenomes of associated 13C-MP degraders, directed isolation, genomics and transcriptomics of pure cultures and environmental samples as well as gene expression studies will identify MP-degrading enzymes and MOs. Accelerated evolution will be utilized to generate high efficiency MP degraders. A further objective is to elucidate whether biofilms have the potential to inhibit UV-dependent plastic oxidation due to their UV-absorbing characteristics, and how microbial colonization affects mechanical stability and surface properties of plastics. Resulting insights are essential for the CRC 1357 and will foster an understanding of the role of MOs for the fate of MP in the environment, enable the identification of microbial MP degrader ‘hot spots’ in the environment, set the ground for the development of additives that speed up MP-degradation as well as the development of environmentally friendly plastics.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1357: MICROPLASTICS - Understanding the mechanisms and processes of biological effects, transport and formation: From model to complex systems as a basis for new solutions
• Major Instrumentation: Analyzer for Isotopic Carbon in Co2 und CH4
• Instrumentation Group: 1700 Massenspektrometer
• Applicant Institution: Universität Bayreuth
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Marcus A. Horn; Professor Dr. Martin Obst; Professor Dr. Gerhard Rambold