ArticlePLoS biology2023
Why have we not yet solved the challenge of plastic degradation by biological means?
Article in PLoS biology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Identification and Characterization of a Polyethylene-Degrading FungusMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Metagenomic insights into potential PET hydrolases from Antarctic soils and rhizospheres.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Biodegradation potential ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2025Article
- Partial consumption of medical face masks by a common beetle species.Biology letters · 2024Article
- Bacterial Degradation of Low-Density Polyethylene Preferentially Targets the Amorphous Regions of the Polymer.Polymers · 2024Article
- Progress in polystyrene biodegradation by insect gut microbiota.World journal of microbiology & biotechnology · 2024Review
- Discovery and adaptation of microbes that degrade oxidized low-density polyethylene films.Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology · 2024Article
- Microplastics dysregulate innate immunity in the SARS-CoV-2 infected lung.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Make it easier to be green: Solutions for a more sustainable planet.PLoS biology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The invention of fossil fuel-derived plastics changed and reshaped society for the better; however, their mass production has created an unprecedented accumulation of waste and an environmental crisis. Scientists are searching for better ways to reduce plastic waste than the current methods of mechanical recycling and incineration, which are only partial solutions. Biological means of breaking down plastics have been investigated as alternatives, with studies mostly focusing on using microorganisms to biologically degrade sturdy plastics like polyethylene (PE). Unfortunately, after a few decades of research, biodegradation by microorganisms has not provided the hoped-for results. Recent studies suggest that insects could provide a new avenue for investigation into biotechnological tools, with the discovery of enzymes that can oxidize untreated PE. But how can insects provide a solution that could potentially make a difference? And how can biotechnology revolutionize the plastic industry to stop ongoing/increasing contamination?
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.