iGEM 2025 Project - Tackling textile waste with enzyme engineering
Textile waste, especially mixed cotton-polyester fabrics, is a growing environmental challenge. Polyester makes up nearly 60% of global fiber production and contributes to millions of tons of plastic waste annually. These blended fabrics are difficult to recycle because cotton and polyester require separate, specific degradation processes.
Mechanical recycling is often energy-intensive and ineffective for mixed fibers, while chemical recycling can be costly and environmentally harmful. Cotton is biodegradable, but polyester can take hundreds of years to decompose, contributing to long-term pollution and microplastic contamination.
We aim to provide a green, efficient solution using a biocatalytic approach. Enzymes such as cellulases target cotton (cellulose), while PET hydrolases like TfCut2 break down polyester. These enzymes degrade fibers into reusable monomers, creating the potential for a circular textile economy.
Our team is engineering improved versions of these enzymes using synthetic biology tools and directed evolution strategies to enhance their performance on real textile waste.
Through Plastic Beeters, we contribute to reducing textile waste and plastic pollution, while promoting innovative applications of synthetic biology. Our work supports the vision of a circular economy where textile materials can be reused rather than discarded.