Abstract
The crosslinked microstructure of epoxy-based composites represents their main advantage; providing lightness and outstanding mechanical strength, which is ideal for the aeronautic, automotive, and construction industries. However, this structure limits their potential for reprocessing and recycling at the end of their lifecycle. Thus, landfilling or incineration are usually the only alternatives. It is essential to screen and adapt microbes that can degrade specific recalcitrant compounds to facilitate their biodegradation or recycling. Xenobiotics biodegradation is influenced by various factors, such as the chemical nature and structure of the compounds (sometimes making necessary a pretreatment), their surface characteristics, historical presence in the environment (indicating prior microbial interactions that facilitate evolutionary adaptations for degradation), microbial activity, and the containment or release of microorganisms throughout the degradation process. The EU-funded ESTELLA project focuses on strategies for the microbial breakdown of epoxy composites. From a previously cured and milled commercial epoxy resin, a strain identified as Pseudomonas putida through Bruker MALDI Biotyper characterization and the sequencing of its 16S rDNA, was isolated. Whole genome sequencing showed a circular chromosome of 6.59 Mb containing 6065 potential coding sequences. Label-free Proteomics and Transcriptomics validation are used to evaluate its ability to survive and utilize the epoxy material as a carbon and energy source. These results offer fascinating insight into the degradation of recalcitrant materials by a novel isolate from a genus known for its metabolic plasticity.
Acknowledgements: ESTELLA project (Design of bio-based thermoset polymer with recycling capability by dynamic bonds for bio-composite manufacturing) (project no: 101058371) funded by the European Union by Horizon Europe program (call: HORIZON-CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-01-11).