2026-10-22 東京大学
酵素内包生分解性プラスチックの作製と深海における分解途中のフィルム
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/topics/topics_20261022-1.html
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11192-1
深海での生分解を促進するための酵素埋め込みポリエステル Enzyme-embedded polyesters for accelerated biodegradation in the deep sea
QiuYuan Huang, Noriko Iida, Noriyuki Isobe, Taizo Kabe, Taku Omura, Manikandan Ilangovan, Satoshi Kimura, Jin Ho Seok, Hidetaka Nomaki, Ken-ichi Kasuya & Tadahisa Iwata
Nature Published:21 October 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11192-1
Abstract
The accumulation of persistent plastics in the ocean is causing wide-ranging environmental problems1,2,3. Some commercially available compostable plastics4,5,6,7, developed to address these issues, degrade efficiently under industrial composting conditions; however, their degradation in marine environments, particularly in the deep sea, remains limited8,9,10. Here we demonstrate that thermally embedding enzymes into compostable polyesters (poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)) significantly accelerates their degradation in both coastal and deep-sea environments from water depths of 2–6 m to 5,503 m. Enzyme-embedded polyesters achieved near-complete degradation at a deep-sea depth of 757 m within 5 months. Furthermore, moderate biodegradation of enzyme-embedded polyesters was observed under extreme conditions on deep-sea floors of 5,503 m. In coastal seawater, films embedded with trace amounts (0.1 wt%) of enzyme underwent rapid degradation. The mechanical properties of enzyme-embedded polyesters were similar to those of enzyme-free polyesters. Chemical analysis confirmed the formation of low-molecular-mass degradation products and biochemical oxygen demand measurements supported the mineralization of the enzyme-embedded polyesters. The enzyme-embedding strategy enables enhanced marine degradation of compostable polyesters and represents a potential solution to marine plastic pollution.
