Team:TJUSLS China
What is PET?
Poly ethylene terephthalate, commonly abbreviated as PET, is produced by the chain
polymerization of
ethylene
glycol and terephthalate. Due to its durability, low price, and convenient processability, PET
becames one of
the most widely used synthetic plastics worldwide, with an annual manufacturing capacity of
over 30 million tons.
PET has various applications in our daily life and industries, such as in manufacturing bottles,
pressure-sensitive tapes, textiles, containers and so on.
Different
crystallinities of PET
crystallinities of PET
According to its applications, PET has different crystallinities. For example, PET used for packaging has
less crystallinity, e.g. approximately 8%.
PET used for manufacturing bottles and textiles has
PET used for manufacturing bottles and textiles has
high crystallinity of 30-45%,
which can't be degraded by LCC and remains a huge problem.
Highly crystallized PET
Our team aim to degrade highly crystallized PET because the stability of it slows down the degradation
and cause great damage to the nature.
How to deal with
highly crystallized PET?
highly crystallized PET?
PETase makes the degradation of highly
crystallized PET possible.Yoshida et al. isolated a novel bacterium,
Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6,
which is able to use PET as its major energy and carbon source.
However...
Wild type PETase loose activity
within 24 hours.
Considered that we use fermenter as reaction site, we have to add enzyme frequently to keep
degradation going
on.
The lack of thermostability
are inevitable problems, thus our goal is to improve it, so that it could degrade PET
more
efficiently.
Our Solution
——To improve
Thermostability
of PETase
Most of the existing work focuses on the
transformation of its
degradation activity
and improve it with little attention paid to the thermostability of PETase.
However,
we found that thermostability largely restricted PETase to play its due role.
degradation activity
and improve it with little attention paid to the thermostability of PETase.
However,
we found that thermostability largely restricted PETase to play its due role.
Our methods
Through the study of the homologous enzymes of PETase, we discovered the possibility of
improving
thermostability of
the protein through site mutations and thereby enhancing the activity of the protein. Different
mutations
stabilize different sites of PETase through specific protein internal foece .
Hydrogen
Bonds
Bonds
Salt
Bridge
Bridge
Disufide
Bond
Bond
Hydrophobic
Core
Core
Proline
Now we have
PET-Crusher!!!
PET-Crusher!!!
Learn more about our project...
Based on the above methods, we rationally design
a series of single point mutations, and combine
them to generate multiple point mutations.
Learn more abour our DESIGN.
a series of single point mutations, and combine
them to generate multiple point mutations.
Learn more abour our DESIGN.
Combinatorial mutation, MD and Docking are
employed to verify the results.
Learn more about our DTY LAB.
employed to verify the results.
Learn more about our DTY LAB.
Investigation and interviews are used to
help us to find out the significance. Online lectures and
podcasts are applied to spread the charm of
synthetic biology.
Learn more about our HUMAN PRACTICES.
help us to find out the significance. Online lectures and
podcasts are applied to spread the charm of
synthetic biology.
Learn more about our HUMAN PRACTICES.
E-mail: tjusls_china@163.com
Address: No.92 Weijin Road,Nankai District,
Tianjin,China tjusls_china@163.com
Address: No.92 Weijin Road,Nankai District,
Tianjin,China tjusls_china@163.com
