The latest progress and applications in five major areas of biodegradation

    In recent years, as the world's attention to environmental protection and sustainable development continues to increase, biodegradation technology has gradually become a hot area of research and application. From the treatment of plastic waste to the resource utilization of carbon dioxide, biodegradation technology is providing new ideas and solutions for solving environmental problems.

  1.Upgrading of carbon dioxide: from greenhouse gas to biodegradable plastics In a study in January 2025, Yang Jianping's team at Donghua University proposed an innovative photoelectrocatalytic-biocoupled system that can convert carbon dioxide into degradable plastics. This technology uses solar-driven photoelectrocatalytic reactions to convert carbon dioxide into short-chain compounds, which are then fermented by microorganisms to synthesize biodegradable plastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). This technology can not only effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also produce environmentally friendly plastic materials, which are widely used in food packaging, agricultural films, and medical fields.

     2. Biosensors help directed evolution of plastic-degrading enzymes In a study in February 2025, Huo Yixin's research group at Beijing Institute of Technology developed a high-throughput screening tool based on BmoR biosensors. This tool can accelerate the directed evolution of PET-degrading enzymes and achieve visual screening of degrading enzymes by using fluorescent proteins as reporter proteins. This technology provides important support for the biodegradation and recycling of plastic waste, and is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of plastic degradation.

     3. Biodegradation of crystalline chitosan: a new approach to sustainable utilization In September 2024, a study on the biodegradation of crystalline chitosan pointed out that chitosan is the second most abundant renewable polysaccharide on Earth, but its high crystallinity and low solubility limit its direct utilization. The latest research shows that through the synergistic effect of chitinase and multi-enzyme catalytic system, efficient degradation of crystalline chitosan can be achieved to generate biologically active oligosaccharides. This technology is not only environmentally friendly, but also provides a new direction for the sustainable utilization of chitosan.

  4. Market and application prospects of biodegradable plastics Biodegradable plastics are gradually replacing traditional plastics due to their environmental friendliness. At present, mainstream biodegradable plastics include starch-based plastics, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), etc. These materials show broad application prospects in packaging, medical and agricultural fields. For example, PLA can be used to make degradable food packaging, while PHA performs well in medical implants and agricultural films.

  5. Future Outlook The development of biodegradable technology will not only help reduce environmental pollution, but also promote the recycling of resources. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the reduction of costs, biodegradable materials are expected to be widely used in more fields. At the same time, the deepening of interdisciplinary research will also bring more innovations to biodegradable technology, such as combining nanotechnology, genetic engineering and biosensors to further improve degradation efficiency and material performance.