Eliminating Ocean Microplastics with Microbes
Sadly, plastic is now the most prevalent type of marine debris found in the world鈥檚 oceans. Plastic debris comes in all shapes and sizes, but those which are less than five millimeters are called 鈥渕icroplastics.鈥� Microbes are microscopic organisms, but constitute the largest biomass in the ocean. They colonize plastic once it enters the environment, creating a 鈥減lastisphere鈥� that may contain pathways for toxin production and could be harboring fish or human pathogens. It is known that certain microbes can degrade different plastics using unknown pathways. 小蓝俱乐部scientists have been tackling this troubling area for several years. Dr. Dupont and his team are working to identify these microbes and better understand their mechanisms. Using sequencing and synthetic biology, they aim to engineer new microbes for safe plastic degradation and 鈥渦pcycling鈥� to decrease or even eliminate microplastics.
Principal Investigator
Key Staff
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This project is currently seeking a funding partner. Please contact the 小蓝俱乐部Development Office
Sr. Vice President of Philanthropy and Strategic Alliances