ArticleNature communications2024
Microbial decomposition of biodegradable plastics on the deep-sea floor.
Article in Nature communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
What it found
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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
23 citing papers in PubMed, 149 citations in OpenAlex.
- Microbial synthesis and degradation of bio-based biodegradable plastics.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026Review
- Functional dynamics and interactions within the bacterial community responsible for biodegradable plastic degradation during aerobic composting.Biodegradation · 2026Article
- Characterization of a Novel GH3 β-Glucosidase with Alkali-Tolerant and Halophilic Properties from Pontixanthobacter luteolus SW-109.Applied biochemistry and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Soil Physicochemical Parameters and Bibliographically Inferred Microbial Diversity as Drivers of Early-Stage Biodegradation ofPolymers · 2026Article
- The Next Frontier in Biodegradable Plastics: Enzyme-Embedding Biodegradable Polymers.Biomacromolecules · 2026Review
- Bacterial cellulose as a promising biodegradable bioplastic for sustainability.Nature communications · 2026Review
- Identification and characterization of R75estA, a halophilic polyester-degrading enzyme from a marine bacterium.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Mechanically-robust and humidity-tunable self-destructive polymers enabled by hydrogen-bond nanoconfinement.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Review
- Temperature Controls the Lifetimes and Microbial Communities Degrading Cellulose Diacetate in the Coastal Ocean.Environmental science & technology · 2025Article
- Controlled biodegradability of polyhydroxybutyrate via surface coating with cellulose triacetate.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Identification of an Extracellular Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Depolymerase in the Genus Alteromonas and Its Phylogenetic Distribution Among Alteromonas Species.Marine biotechnology (New York, N.Y.) · 2025Article
- Draft genome sequences of six bacterial strains degrading the biodegradable plastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).Microbiology resource announcements · 2025Article
- Fully circular shapable transparent paperboard with closed-loop recyclability and marine biodegradability across shallow to deep sea.Science advances · 2025Article
- Article
- Rapid Biodegradation Assessment of Biomass Plastics Using Closed Recirculating Aquaculture Systems: A Novel Approach for Environmental Sustainability.Marine biotechnology (New York, N.Y.) · 2025Article
- The biodegradable polymer poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) modulates the community structures of actively growing bacteria in rotifer culture water.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Materials designed to degrade: structure, properties, processing, and performance relationships in polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers.Polymer chemistry · 2025Review
- Widespread distribution of bacteria containing PETases with a functional motif across global oceans.The ISME journal · 2025Article
- Plastic-Degrading Enzymes from Marine Microorganisms and Their Potential Value in Recycling Technologies.Marine drugs · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Microbes can decompose biodegradable plastics on land, rivers and seashore. However, it is unclear whether deep-sea microbes can degrade biodegradable plastics in the extreme environmental conditions of the seafloor. Here, we report microbial decomposition of representative biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable polyesters, and polysaccharide esters) at diverse deep-sea floor locations ranging in depth from 757 to 5552 m. The degradation of samples was evaluated in terms of weight loss, reduction in material thickness, and surface morphological changes. Poly(L-lactic acid) did not degrade at either shore or deep-sea sites, while other biodegradable polyesters, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and polysaccharide esters were degraded. The rate of degradation slowed with water depth. We analysed the plastic-associated microbial communities by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metagenomics. Several dominant microorganisms carried genes potentially encoding plastic-degrading enzymes such as polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerases and cutinases/polyesterases. Analysis of available metagenomic datasets indicated that these microorganisms are present in other deep-sea locations. Our results confirm that biodegradable plastics can be degraded by the action of microorganisms on the deep-sea floor, although with much less efficiency than in coastal settings.
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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.