Journal of Polymers and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"Bacterial Community and Predicted Functional Gene Dynamics Relevant to the Potential Biodegradation of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT)","authors":"Subin Hwang,&nbsp;Soo Yeon Lee,&nbsp;Kyung-Suk Cho","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03942-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03942-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) is a widely used biodegradable plastic, but its microbial degradation mechanisms and environmental responses remain poorly understood. In this study, two compost inocula (K and I) were used to establish PBAT enrichment cultures under mesophilic (35 °C, M) and thermophilic (58 °C, T) conditions, and the effects of temperature and inoculum source on bacterial community structure and PICRUSt2-derived predicted functional profiles were investigated. Surface analyses revealed cracking, erosion, and structural collapse of PBAT under all conditions, with more pronounced degradation in compost I-derived cultures. Microbial diversity decreased during enrichment, accompanied by dominance of specific genera. Under mesophilic conditions, <i>Pseudoxanthomonas</i> dominated (72.6%–91.0%) and showed strong positive correlations with predicted ester bond hydrolysis-related KOs (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), suggesting a potential association with initial hydrolysis. Under thermophilic conditions, compost K cultures were dominated by <i>Thermoflavifilum</i> and <i>Rhodothermus</i>, which were mainly associated with predicted hydrolysis-related KOs, whereas compost I cultures were dominated by <i>Thermoflavifilum</i> and <i>Thermopolyspora</i> and showed stronger associations with predicted KOs related to adipate and terephthalic acid metabolism. Predicted aromatic intermediate metabolism-related KOs, including K04101, K01055, and K01607, were also higher in compost I-derived thermophilic cultures. Overall, temperature and inoculum composition jointly shaped bacterial community assembly and predicted PBAT degradation-related functional potential. Thermophilic conditions combined with compost I were associated with functionally differentiated bacterial communities and higher predicted potential for downstream PBAT-derived intermediate metabolism. These findings provide a microbial ecological basis for temperature- and inoculum-guided enrichment strategies to improve PBAT biodegradation and biodegradable plastic waste treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03942-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structurally Designed Alginate-Based Hydrogels with Superior Mechanical Performance and Excellent Weldability for Load-Bearing Materials and Soft Actuators","authors":"Van Tron Tran","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03949-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03949-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Smart, multifunctional, and high-performance mechanical materials derived from natural substances have attracted significant attention, especially for load-bearing and soft-actuator applications. In this study, a novel class of structurally designed, anisotropic alginate hydrogels is successfully developed using a prestretching-drying technique, followed by a strong-binding ion-exchange step. The as-prepared alginate-based hydrogels are first sequentially clamped unidirectionally and stretched to a prescribed strain. Next, they are air-dried at controlled temperatures. Finally, the dried gels are rehydrated in water and immersed in aqueous cation-salt solutions for ion exchange. The effects of drying temperature, prestretching strain, and cation type on the mechanical characteristics of the hydrogels are evaluated. Owing to the synergistic effect of a highly oriented network and strong binding crosslinks, the resulting hydrogels, containing ~ 50 wt% of water, display a high degree of mechanical anisotropy and exhibit superior mechanical properties, with the maximum Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and work of extension of ~ 1712 MPa, ~ 99 MPa, and ~ 20 MJ·m^− 3, respectively. Furthermore, they display excellent self-recovery and high stability in water. The anisotropic hydrogels show outstanding weldability with both isotropic counterparts and themselves, achieving an adhesive strength of ~ 1 MPa. Welded bilayer structures comprising anisotropic and isotropic gel layers exhibit rapid solvent-responsive morphing due to asymmetric solvent-induced shrinkage, enabling them to serve as solvent sensors. Additionally, they successfully demonstrate their other practical capabilities as load-transferring grippers and shape-memory materials. With these performances, the developed gels are expected to be applied to a wide range of advanced engineering applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immunoregulatory Activity of Chinese Yam Polysaccharides on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression Mice via Regulating Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Pathway","authors":"Liujun Wang,&nbsp;Yi Zheng,&nbsp;Zhen Zhao,&nbsp;Yahui Yang,&nbsp;Zichao Wang,&nbsp;Lemei An","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03937-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03937-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigated the regulatory effects and underlying the mechanisms of microbial-fermented Chinese yam polysaccharides (CYPs) in a cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mouse model. Our findings demonstrated that CYPs mitigated weight loss, elevated immune organ indices, and modulated the secretion of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM). Histopathological observations showed that CYPs alleviated CTX-induced morphological alterations in immune organs, as indicated by improved thymic and splenic tissue architecture. Moreover, 16 S rRNA sequencing revealed that CYPs altered gut microbiota composition and were associated with partial recovery of CTX-induced microbial dysbiosis. Integrated metabolic profiling indicated that the immunomodulatory efficacy of CYPs was partially associated with the regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism, as well as the amino acid and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. Briefly, these results suggest that CYPs potentially improve the immune-related indicators in CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice, accompanied by changes in immune organ integrity, gut microbiota composition, and host metabolic pathways.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the Performance of PBAT Composites via Incorporation of Nano TiO2-Tannic Acid Hybrid Filler","authors":"Chang Lv,&nbsp;Xiaorui Zhou,&nbsp;Shuning Liu,&nbsp;Tingting Su","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03941-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03941-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the post-pandemic era, biodegradable materials with antibacterial properties effectively meet safety needs for protective applications. However, although tannic acid (TA) has excellent antimicrobial properties, its abundant phenolic hydroxyl groups make it uneven dispersion in the polymer matrix. In this study, nano-TiO₂-TA (TiTA) hybrid filler was prepared firstly and then mixed with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) (PBAT/TiTA) via melt blending. Notably, TiTA hybrid filler not only enhanced the degradability and mechanical properties of PBAT, but also endowed strong antibacterial activity with Ultraviolet (UV)-free irradiation, which overcome the limitation of UV irradiation to the antibacterial activity of TiO₂. When the TiTA content was 7.5 wt%, the comprehensive performance of the composite was optimal. This work provides a simple strategy to address the dispersion of TA and to develop TiO₂-based antibacterial materials with UV-free irradiation. The resulting antibacterial biodegradable composites holds great promise for applications in medical and food packaging fields.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time-Resolved Investigation of the Priming Effect of Biodegradable Plastics on Soil Organic Matter Using Radiocarbon Analysis","authors":"Sungbin Ju,&nbsp;Lam Tan Hao,&nbsp;Semin Kim,&nbsp;Minkyung Lee,&nbsp;Hyo Jeong Kim,&nbsp;Hyeonyeol Jeon,&nbsp;Jeyoung Park,&nbsp;Dongyeop X. Oh","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03940-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03940-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As biodegradable plastics become integrated into the modern economy, soil contamination by biodegradable microplastics (MPs) has raised concerns owing to their potential to alter soil organic matter (SOM), an important carbon reservoir, through priming effects. Priming effects refer to the acceleration (positive) or suppression (negative) of SOM decomposition following an external carbon input. Previous studies have relied on carbon-13 isotope analysis, which lacks the resolution required for precise carbon tracing, to study the priming effects of biodegradable MPs. Herein we present a novel approach combining accelerator mass spectrometry-based radiocarbon (carbon-14) analysis with a closed-jar incubation system to quantify the priming effects of two fossil-based biodegradable MPs, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(butylene adipate-<i>co</i>-terephthalate) (PBAT). This method enables high-resolution time-resolved partitioning of biogenic and fossil-derived carbon sources. Both biodegradable MPs show a net negative priming effect (up to − 35.4 µg C g^− 1 soil for PCL after 9 d, and − 9.6 µg C g^− 1 soil for PBAT after 24 d), with transient positive priming observed at certain time points. This study provides a robust approach for accurate assessment of the priming effects of biodegradable plastics on SOM and offers a potential analytical framework to devise end-of-life management strategies for biodegradable plastics in agroecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable Waterborne Polyurethane for Toxic Dye-Contaminated Wastewater Treatment","authors":"Javed Alam,&nbsp;Fekri Abdulraqeb Ahmed Ali,&nbsp;Omar A. Daoud,&nbsp;Mansour Alhoshan","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03939-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03939-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A sustainable and efficient strategy for fabricating a chitosan-based waterborne polyurethane (CH-WPU) sorbent through in situ synthesis is reported in the present study. In this system, chitosan performs a dual role—serving simultaneously as a bio-polyol in polyurethane formation and as a solid emulsifier that stabilizes the pickering emulsion—thereby simplifying the formulation. The successful grafting of urethane linkages onto the chitosan backbone was confirmed by FTIR and XPS analyses. Thermogravimetric (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results revealed enhanced thermal stability of the CH-WPU network compared with pristine chitosan. The material’s chemical durability was evaluated through solubility testing under harsh acidic and alkaline conditions (2 M acetic acid, HCl, H₂SO₄, NaOH, and NaOCl, 75 °C), and morphological integrity was examined using SEM. The BET results clearly showed that the modification of the chitosan successfully shifted it from a non-porous material with a low surface area of 0.4047 m²/g into a porous structure having a high surface area (12.2520 m²/g). The pseudo-first-order kinetic model and Langmuir model provided a better fit to the experimental data with R² values of 0.971 and 0.990, respectively. The optimized CH-WPU exhibited outstanding adsorption capacity toward Congo red (CR) dye, reaching 276.2 mg g⁻¹. Moreover, the adsorbent demonstrated excellent reusability, retaining nearly 72% of its initial CR removal efficiency after four successive adsorption–desorption cycles. Overall, this green synthetic route provides a promising platform for developing bio-derived polyurethane sorbents with strong potential for wastewater treatment and sustainable pollutant removal applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resveratrol-Loaded Chitosan-Folate MWCNTs for Potential Folate Receptor-Targeted Therapy of A2780 Ovarian Cancer Cells","authors":"Hossein Ashiani,&nbsp;Akbar Safipour Afshar,&nbsp;Masoud Homayouni Tabrizi,&nbsp;Fatemeh Saeid Nematpour,&nbsp;Mahnaz Mohtashami","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03931-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03931-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ovarian cancer remains a significant health challenge, highlighting the need for innovative therapeutic strategies. This study aims to evaluate the cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of oxidized-acetylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with Chitosan-Folic Acid loaded with Resveratrol (Oxidized-Acetylated MWCNT-Chi-FA-Resveratrol) on the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action. Nanoparticle characterization was performed using dynamic light scattering (DLS) for particle size and zeta potential analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) for morphological characterization, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to confirm functional groups. Encapsulation efficiency was assessed spectrophotometrically, and drug release profiles were measured over 80 h with early time points (0–12 h) to capture burst release. In vitro biological assays included the MTT assay for cytotoxicity, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and AO/PI staining for apoptosis detection, and real-time PCR for caspase-3, -8, and -9 gene expression. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays. The DLS analysis indicated a Z-average particle size of 95.38 nm with a low polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.2420. The zeta potential was -15.56 ± 11.64 mV, indicating poor colloidal stability. The encapsulation efficiency for Resveratrol was 83.7%, with an initial burst release of 18.3% at 6 h and cumulative release of approximately 60% after 80 h. The MTT assay revealed a dose-dependent decrease in A2780 cell viability, from 81.9% at 7.8 μg/mL to 26.17% at 500 μg/mL (p &lt; 0.001). In contrast, human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) cells maintained viability above 97%. Flow cytometry showed a significant increase in early and late apoptotic cells, reaching 53.4% and 5.88% at the highest concentration of 196 μg/mL. Gene expression analysis indicated a significant increase in caspase-3 and caspase-8 expression, but not caspase-9. MWCNT-Chi-FA-Resveratrol NPs exhibit promising in vitro cytotoxic effects against A2780 cells through extrinsic apoptosis pathway activation and show cell-free antioxidant activity. However, poor colloidal stability and the need for protein-level validation and in vivo studies are significant limitations. These findings provide a foundational proof-of-concept for further optimization and translational research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Synthesis, 3D Printing, and Characterization of Biobased Antibacterial Scaffolds Using Acrylated Epoxidized Soybean Oil-co-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate","authors":"Mohamed A. El-Tayeb,&nbsp;Turki M. Dawoud,&nbsp;Khalid S. Almaary,&nbsp;Fuad Ameen,&nbsp;Hossein Ali Khonakdar","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03794-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03794-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-Cell-Density Production of High-Molecular-Weight P(3HB-co-3HHx) from Solvent-Extracted Palm Fibre Oil by Engineered Cupriavidus necator","authors":"Wei Yang Lim,&nbsp;Soon Zher Neoh,&nbsp;Kelvin Zhao Kang Ong,&nbsp;Lun Qing Fook,&nbsp;Manoj Lakshmanan,&nbsp;Kumar Sudesh","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03936-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03936-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, yet their commercialisation remains limited by the lack of efficient strains and high production costs. To address this challenge, an improved PHA synthase, PhaC_G8 was cloned into <i>Cupriavidus necator</i> Re2058. Compared with its parental synthase, PhaC_G8 was shown to promote the formation of higher-molecular-weight polymers and fewer but larger intracellular PHA granules. The performance of the new recombinant strain was evaluated using crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) and fructose, revealing higher polymer molecular weight with fewer and larger granules compared to <i>C. necator</i> Re2058/pHT1-<i>C</i>_BP-M-CPF4 although a direct mechanistic relationship between granule morphology and <i>M</i>_w has yet to be established. To tackle the high production cost, solvent-extracted non-edible palm fibre oil (PFO) was evaluated as a sustainable carbon source for PHA production using the new recombinant strain. PFO used in this study supported efficient growth and polymer accumulation, achieving 124.3 g/L biomass with 83.1 g/L PHA under fed-batch conditions, corresponding to a polymer yield coefficient of 0.64 g/g and a volumetric productivity of 1.07 g/L·h. A biological recovery approach using mealworms (<i>Tenebrio molitor</i>) was also implemented, achieving 82% recovery efficiency and 95 wt% polymer purity, providing a greener and less solvent-intensive alternative to conventional extraction methods. The engineered PhaC_G8 synthase enabled high <i>M</i>_w polymer formation (<i>M</i>_w = 15.0 × 10⁵ Da) with stable 3HHx incorporation (6–8 mol%). Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of converting non-edible PFO into high-value bioplastics through an integrated and sustainable bioprocess.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single-Vector Co-expression of petase and mhetase in E. coli Enhances PET Depolymerization Compared to Co-culture","authors":"Hilal Yılmaz,&nbsp;Sena Gül Şerbetçi,&nbsp;Esra Meşe Erdoğan,&nbsp;Melike Karaman,&nbsp;Buket Keklik,&nbsp;Melek Özkan","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03933-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03933-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used synthetic polymer and a persistent environmental pollutant due to its resistance to natural degradation. Polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase (PETase) and mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate hydrolase (MHETase) from <i>Ideonella sakaiensis</i> offer a promising enzymatic route for PET hydrolysis. In this study, <i>petase</i> and <i>mhetase</i> genes were cloned separately and together into pETDuet-1 vectors, enabling co-expression of genes in a single host. Purified PETase and MHETase were characterized using soluble substrates and PET films. PETase showed the highest apparent activity toward p-nitrophenyl butyrate, with activity decreasing with increasing acyl chain length. The tested metal ions did not enhance PETase activity, and MgCl₂ caused the strongest inhibition. Recombinant cell-based PET hydrolysis was evaluated at different temperatures (20, 25, and 37 °C) and pH values (6–9), with the highest soluble product formation observed at 37 °C and pH 8. HPLC analysis showed that co-culture and single-vector co-expression increased terephthalic acid (TPA) formation compared with single-enzyme systems. The BHET/TPA molar ratio decreased from 0.195 in co-culture to 0.156 under co-expression, indicating improved intermediate conversion when both genes were expressed in the same host. FTIR, DSC, and SEM analyses supported surface-level PET modification, including changes in ester-associated bands, crystallinity, and localized erosion. Overall, single-vector co-expression of <i>petase</i> and <i>mhetase</i> improved soluble product distribution and intermediate turnover compared with co-culture.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148751373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}