2026-10-14T10:07:07Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/31846360 2026-09-30T02:43:32Z category_24172 portal_959 item_type_8 month_year_09_2026

Investigating the molecular basis of polyurethane degradation in microbial communities Samuel Michael Clay (23616208) Synthetic biology Polyurethane Plastic Synthetic Biology RNA Serratia marcescens Pseudomonas protegens PueA polyurethanase Sustainable development recycling <p dir="ltr">Over twenty-three million tons of polyurethane is produced annually, of which less than twelve percent is recycled. Most polyurethanes can only be recycled into equivalent-value products by depolymerisation under harsh conditions. The microbial depolymerisation of polyurethane, which can occur at ambient temperature, might provide a sustainable alternative to chemical recycling. Here, we pursued two complementary aims towards the development of microbial systems for polyurethane recycling. First, we aimed to recombinantly express the <i>Pseudomonas protegens</i> polyurethane esterase PueA in novel hosts to enhance enzyme production. And secondly, we aimed to determine the molecular basis of a co-operative polyurethane degrading community of <i>P. protegens</i> and <i>Serratia marcescens</i>. Towards our first aim, we developed a plasmid, pus250_pueA, for recombinant expression of <i>pueA</i>. We then transformed pus250_pueA into six bacterial hosts and identified two, <i>Pseudomonas putida</i> 17484 and <i>S. marcescens</i>, with superior polyurethane clearance activity to the natural clearer <i>P. protegens</i>. For our second aim, we determined the growth dynamics, carbon preference, and transcriptional profile of our co-culture. From our data, we hypothesise that <i>P. protegens</i> consumes adipate from polyurethane and preys upon <i>S. marcescens</i> for access to additional nutrients. Together these results will advance the development of sustainable microbially-driven methods for polyurethane recycling.</p> 2026-09-30T02:43:32Z Text Thesis 10.25949/31846360.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Investigating_the_molecular_basis_of_polyurethane_degradation_in_microbial_communities/31846360 In Copyright Open Access after 2027-03-25