Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Message In A Bottle: The Expression And Confirmation Of Isf6_4831, A Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolase, Nathan A. Koconis

Graduate Theses

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the polyester used to make plastic bottles for soft drinks, is one of the top five sources of plastic waste in the world. Its abundance represents significant problems for municipalities and environments. Recycling PET polymers by traditional methods is possible, but success has been limited due to poor compliance, liability, cost, and other factors. Fortunately, a PET degradation pathway has been identified in Ideonella sakaiensis. Research on this pathway is still nascent and has not yet explored the PET hydrolase gene (ISF6_4831, or PETase) with its leading signal peptide intact. For this reason, the gene was transferred …