Novel PHA depolymerases for enzymatic recycling of biodegradable bioplastics

Overview

EnzyCeuticals has developed a portfolio of novel PHA depolymerases designed for the enzymatic recycling of biodegradable bioplastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Unlike conventional thermomechanical recycling, which is limited to clean plastics and degrades material quality with each cycle, enzymatic depolymerization enables the recovery of high-quality monomers from complex, soiled, or mixed PHA waste streams. This approach supports a true circular plastics economy by allowing recycled PHA to be reprocessed into new, fully recyclable products without loss of performance. The enzymes were discovered through genome-based computational mining and metagenomics screening of extreme thermal springs, then enhanced via protein engineering for industrial robustness.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Recombinant PHA depolymerases produced in E. coli expression systems, including intracellular and extracellular enzyme classes
• Efficient depolymerization of PHB and other PHA substrates in under 24 hours
• Enhanced structural stability and catalytic activity toward PHB films through directed protein engineering
• Discovery pipeline leveraging metagenomics from extremophilic microorganisms for enzymes tolerant to wide pH and temperature ranges
• Compatible with downstream fermentation using thermophilic strains (e.g., Caldimonas sp.) to produce copolymers such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) for biomedical applications
• Analytical validation via mass spectrometry and gas chromatography for monomer and oligomer characterization

Technology readiness level

The PHA depolymerases have been experimentally validated at lab scale, with best-performing enzyme variants identified and characterized for structural stability and catalytic activity. Current and planned next steps include optimizing pilot-scale enzyme production and extraction, scaling up PHB depolymerization of packaging and fiber waste, computational modeling of polymer–enzyme interactions, and integrated fermentation of hydrolyzed media into value-added PHA copolymers. The technology is advancing from lab-scale validation toward pilot-scale demonstration.