US EditionOcean Bacteria Evolving to Eat and Produce Plastics
- On November 4, 2025, KAUST's global study in The ISME Journal finds marine microbes worldwide genetically primed to break down PET plastic.
- Because ocean carbon is scarce, the study reports that marine microbes have the ability to use human-made plastic as a new carbon source, an early response to planetary littering.
- Using AI-based structural modeling, genetic screening and laboratory testing, researchers identified the M5 motif as the marker of genuine PETase enzymes that efficiently break down PET in labs.
- Researchers caution that the M5 motif offers a roadmap for industrial enzyme design on land, but the microbial breakdown is too slow to offset ocean plastic, risking marine life and human consumers.
- Surveying more than 400 ocean samples, the team found functional PETases with the M5 motif in nearly 80% of waters from surface gyres to depths two kilometers down.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Plastic-eating bacteria discovered in the ocean
Beneath the ocean’s surface, bacteria have evolved specialized enzymes that can digest PET plastic, the material used in bottles and clothes. Researchers at KAUST discovered that a unique molecular signature distinguishes enzymes capable of efficiently breaking down plastic. Found in nearly 80% of ocean samples, these PETase variants show nature’s growing adaptation to human pollution.
Scientists Discover Ocean Bacteria That Feast on Plastic
A newly discovered enzyme motif reveals how ocean microbes are evolving to digest plastic, potentially aiding future cleanup efforts. Hidden in the depths of the ocean, scientists have discovered marine bacteria equipped with enzymes that can consume plastic, their evolution shaped by humanity’s discarded waste. According to a global study by researchers at KAUST, these [...]
A newly discovered enzyme from bacteria could make the production of plastic climate-friendly – without oil and CO2 emissions.
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology conducted a study in the depths of several oceans, where they found marine microbes capable of disintegrating plastics such as PET, material used in beverage bottles, food and to pack other products. Researchers examined more than 400 ocean samples collected around the world detecting this enzyme in the functional PETases containing the M5 motif. They appeared in almost 80% of the…
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