%0 Journal Article
%A Tiso, Till
%A Winter, Benedikt
%A Wei, Ren
%A Hee, Johann
%A de Witt, Jan
%A Wierckx, Nick
%A Quicker, Peter
%A Bornscheuer, Uwe T.
%A Bardow, André
%A Nogales, Juan
%A Blank, Lars M.
%T The metabolic potential of plastics as biotechnological carbon sources – Review and targets for the future
%J Metabolic engineering
%V 71
%@ 1096-7176
%C Orlando, Fla.
%I Academic Press
%M FZJ-2022-00201
%P 77-98
%D 2022
%Z Biotechnologie 1
%X The plastic crisis requires drastic measures, especially for the plastics’ end-of-life. Mixed plastic fractions are currently difficult to recycle, but microbial metabolism might open new pathways. With new technologies for degradation of plastics to oligo- and monomers, these carbon sources can be used in biotechnology for the upcycling of plastic waste to valuable products, such as bioplastics and biosurfactants. We briefly summarize well-known monomer degradation pathways and computed their theoretical yields for industrially interesting products. With this information in hand, we calculated replacement scenarios of existing fossil-based synthesis routes for the same products. Thereby, we highlight fossil-based products for which plastic monomers might be attractive alternative carbon sources. Notably, not the highest yield of product on substrate of the biochemical route, but rather the (in-)efficiency of the petrochemical routes (i.e., carbon, energy use) determines the potential of biochemical plastic upcycling. Our results might serve as a guide for future metabolic engineering efforts towards a sustainable plastic economy.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000793785100004
%R 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.12.006
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/904885