Scientists Discover Soil Bacteria Enzyme that Breaks Down Both Plastic and Antibiotics
Sci.News · 2026-09-07
Scientists have identified a soil bacteria enzyme, named LCPH1, that can break down both long-chain aliphatic polyester (LCAP) bioplastics and penicillin-type antibiotics. Researchers at the University of Konstanz, led by Dr. Harry Lerner, buried strips of LCAP in forest soil for over a year and observed that microbes had eaten away at the plastic. DNA sequencing revealed LCPH1, which structural modeling showed has a wide "pac-man" shaped active site capable of targeting both plastic strands and antibiotic molecules like penicillin and ampicillin, destroying their ability to kill bacteria. This discovery is significant because plastic waste and its associated "plastisphere" habitats are a growing concern for environmental pollution and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes, suggesting microbes may adapt to breaking down polyester plastics more quickly than anticipated. The findings were published in The ISME Journal.