Sandbox Reserved 1846: Difference between revisions

Leaf branch compost [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutinase cutinase] (LCC) is a versatile enzyme that is capable of breaking down both natural plant polymers and synthetic plastics.<ref name="Tournier">PMID:32269349</ref> It was discovered in a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost compost] heap, and it originally evolved to degrade cutin, the protective biopolymer in plant surfaces. LCC has also shown high efficiency in hydrolyzing [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate polyethylene terephthalate] (PET), which is a widely used plastic that contributes to global pollution. Unlike many other PET-degrading enzymes, LCC is both thermostable and has a high catalytic efficiency, which means it can function at temperatures that are optimal for industrial recycling processes. By breaking PET into its monomers, LCC enables the closed-loop recycling of plastic waste and reduces environmental accumulation. Research is focused on engineering LCC variants with improved activity and thermostability to accelerate plastic degradation.