| Summary: | Plastic pollution is a growing environmental crisis, with a majority of waste accumulating in
landfills or natural ecosystems, and projections indicating a quadrupling of oceanic plastic waste
by 2050. This has led to severe issues like microplastic pollution and negative impacts on the
marine ecosystem. Enhancing plastic biodegradation is key to addressing this challenge and one
way is through the understanding and enhancement of biofilms, particularly those formed by
microorganisms on plastic surfaces.
This study investigates the interactions between microorganisms and plastics in the marine
environment, focusing on two key bacteria: Nitratireductor aquibiodomus and Ideonella
sakaiensis. Through a series of characterisations, the interaction of N. aquibiodomus with plastic
was evaluated with physical, chemical, and biological analyses. Additionally, the biofilm
formation by I. sakaiensis on plastics was explored using transcriptomics to uncover the
underlying mechanisms of plastic degradation. Through these analyses, results were obtained and
discussed upon for the conclusions drawn and recommendations made for future research in the
environmental microbiology field.
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