Our goal is...
...to find solutions to the urgent problem of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Our job is...
...to make available new and improved enzymes and microorganisms for the degradation of synthetic polymers (PET, PU, PE, PA and PEF) with our very extensive and outstanding expertise in metagenomics, protein engineering, marine microbiology as well as access to unique biological samples.
PLASTISEA will mine marine biodiversity obtained from the North Atlantic garbage patch, global marine incubation experiments and large existing marine strain collections. The mining of these will deliver a large collection of functional enzymes and bacteria, archaea and fungi acting on mainly PET, PU, but also on PEF, PE and PA as part of a biotechnology toolbox of highly active enzymes (plastizymes) and microorganisms (plastibugs) acting on synthetic polymers. The discovery pipeline of PET active enzymes from previous projects will be refined and broadened to identify enzymes acting on PU, PEF, PE and PA, where there is hardly any enzyme available to date. Furthermore, PLASTISEA will develop novel technologies and biosensors to detect MPs in the marine and other environments. In addition, PLASTISEA will deliver technologies at the proof of concept level for potential removal of micro- and nanoparticles from marine habitats. This will be done using aquarium-based technology including plastic binding and hydrolyzing enzymes immobilized to experimental panels and filtering devices to assess the possibility of removal of particles from marine habitats at the proof of concept level.
In summary...
...with PLASTISEA we will strengthen and make marine biotechnology more attractive and profitable by developing a synthetic polymer degrading toolbox and make marine biological resources available for a future bio-based economy.
Together we are strong with our project partners...
- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Streit / Universität Hamburg (UHH)
- Prof. Dr. Karl-Erich Jaeger / Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHUD)
- Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schwaneberg / RWTH Aachen
- Prof. Dr. Ruth Schmitz-Streit / Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel (CAU)
- Dr. Jürgen Kuballa / GALAB Laboratories GmbH Hamburg
- Prof. Dr. Ute Hentschel Humeida - Projektkoordinator / GEOMAR Kiel
Outreach
Research against plastic waste in the oceans
For more information please click here:
Biosensors - strain development in the fast lane (only in German)
Video: Geomar Expedition: On the trail of plastic waste in the sea (only in German)
Funded under the...
...BMBF-Funding Activity "New Biotechnological Processes based on Marine Resources - BioProMare" 2020-2023 (Funding Reference Number: 031B0867A)
