Protein Evolution sees enzymes in future of plastic recycling

New Haven, Connecticut-based Protein Evolution Inc. is working with a consortium of laboratories to create enzymes and methods to that break down discarded plastic and textiles to produce new raw materials.

The biological recycling company focused on decarbonizing plastic production includes in its research partners the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories Agile BioFoundry (ABF), the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU) and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI).

The collaborators are working on two separate projects. The first will leverage the team’s collective advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to create enzymes that break down plastic and textile scrap.

The second project has been designed to streamline the methods for manufacturing these enzymes at scale.

“Our innovative process uses AI to design novel enzymes to transform various types of polyester waste back into the building blocks of new polyester,” says Maren Wehrs, director of bioprocess development at Protein Evolution.

“These partnerships provide access to cutting-edge research, infrastructure, and a wealth of domain expertise that will help us accelerate sustainable waste management and the global transition to a lower-carbon, circular economy."

Protein Evolution's technology uses enzymes as a catalyst to produce new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from polyester textile scrap. The PET resulting from Protein Evolution’s process is “indistinguishable from the petroleum-derived virgin alternative, but with a far lower carbon footprint,” according to the company.

The company says the resulting  recycled PET resin is suitable for both textile and packaging grade applications. Protein Evolution also is scaling its commercial capacity to take in greater quantities and more diverse types of plastic scrap as feedstock to facilitate the production of low-carbon polyester.

Protein Evolution’s partnerships with JBEI, ABF and ABPDU share the overarching goal to reduce emissions from petroleum-based plastic production and to reduce the landfilling and incineration of plastic scrap.

“Identifying and cost-effectively producing highly catalytic enzymes to transform waste into new products has the potential to significantly reduce industry’s reliance on petroleum,” says Jay Konieczka, chief technology officer at Protein Evolution.

“At scale, our technology will divert millions of waste products from landfills and the environment, helping to reduce pollution, conserve natural resources, and contribute to a more sustainable and cleaner future."

As one of the ABF’s five newly selected projects aiming to decarbonize society, Protein Evolution says it will use AI to design new classes of enzymes to break down plastic. The Protein Evolution team will collaborate with two ABF consortium members, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

“We aim to support biomanufacturing partnerships that enable sustainable industrial production of renewable fuels and chemicals for the nation,” says Gregg Beckham, NREL lead at the ABF. “Our teams across a consortium of national labs are excited to support Protein Evolution’s efforts to use advancements in biology to break down plastics.”

“JBEI and Protein Evolution share the goal of optimizing carbon utilization—JBEI develops the science and technology to transform bioenergy crops into eco-friendly products, while Protein Evolution pioneers in recycling plastics to generate high-quality monomers," adds Blake Simmons, chief scientific and technical officer of JBEI.

In later stages of the project, ABPDU will offer guidance in scalable fermentation and protein separation procedures.

“Our capabilities will allow us to test large-scale production processes that will benefit Protein Evolution’s future scale-up plans,” ABPDU Director Deepti Tanjore says. “We are hopeful that this partnership will make a major impact on how plastic waste is handled and new plastic material is produced in the future.”