Carbios strengthens its world leadership in the biorecycling of plastics and textiles

• Carbios and TBI publish an article in a prestigious scientific journal: Biophysical Journal

• Exceptional achievement of research work on the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for understanding PET depolymerization enzymes

Carbios announces the publication of an article entitled “An NMR look at an engineered PET depolymerase” in the scientific journal Biophysical Journal. The scientists at Carbios and at the Company’s renowned academic partner, The Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI) are at the forefront of enzymatic research and innovate every day in order to optimize the end-of-life of plastics and textiles.

The article describes the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study the thermal stability of PET depolymerization enzymes and the mechanism of adsorption of the enzyme on the polymer. This innovative approach, which required months of development, is a world first and opens up new ways of improving these enzymes. This publication confirms Carbios’ international lead in the development of the most efficient enzymes for the depolymerization and recycling of plastics.

Prof. Alain Marty, Chief Scientific Officer of Carbios and co-author of the article, explains: “I am very proud of this work at the interface between two sciences, enzymology and NMR, carried out by TBI and Carbios teams. Nearly 25 researchers are currently working on our unique enzymatic technology. It is based on academic collaborations with the world’s leading experts in their fields. This publication confirms the technological lead of Carbios.”

Dr. Guy Lippens, CNRS Research Director and co-author of the artcle, adds: “Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is an extraordinary biophysical technique for visualizing an enzyme directly in solution. Our study is the first to use NMR as a complementary technique to crystallography and molecular modeling to observe a PETase. This gives new perspectives to better understand the functioning of these enzymes and it makes it possible to imagine new ways of improving these enzymes. TBI researchers are proud to contribute with Carbios to finding end-of-life solutions for plastics.”