Reproducible Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)-Degrading Artificial Consortia by Introducing the Least Type of PBS-Degrading Strains

oleh: Nara Shin, Su Hyun Kim, Jinok Oh, Suwon Kim, Yeda Lee, Yuni Shin, Suhye Choi, Shashi Kant Bhatia, Yun-Gon Kim, Yung-Hun Yang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) stands out as a promising biodegradable polymer, drawing attention for its potential as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics due to its biodegradability and reduced environmental impact. In this study, we aimed to enhance PBS degradation by examining artificial consortia composed of bacterial strains. Specifically, <i>Terribacillus</i> sp. JY49, <i>Bacillus</i> sp. JY35, and <i>Bacillus</i> sp. NR4 were assessed for their capabilities and synergistic effects in PBS degradation. When only two types of strains, <i>Bacillus</i> sp. JY35 and <i>Bacillus</i> sp. NR4, were co-cultured as a consortium, a notable increase in degradation activity toward PBS was observed compared to their activities alone. The consortium of <i>Bacillus</i> sp. JY35 and <i>Bacillus</i> sp. NR4 demonstrated a remarkable degradation yield of 76.5% in PBS after 10 days. The degradation of PBS by the consortium was validated and our findings underscore the potential for enhancing PBS degradation and the possibility of fast degradation by forming artificial consortia, leveraging the synergy between strains with limited PBS degradation activity. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that utilizing only two types of strains in the consortium facilitates easy control and provides reproducible results. This approach mitigates the risk of losing activity and reproducibility issues often associated with natural consortia.