Scientists Discover a Plastic-Eating Enzyme With a Surprising Connection to Antibiotic Resistance

Scientists Discover a Plastic-Eating Enzyme With a Surprising Connection to Antibiotic Resistance

Author: Nohil Kodiyatar

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Keywords: Plastic-degrading enzymes, biodegradable plastics, bacterial enzymes, plastic pollution, antibiotic resistance, environmental biotechnology.

Abstract

Scientists have identified a bacterial enzyme nicknamed the “Pac-Man enzyme” because of its unusual structure and ability to break down certain biodegradable plastics. Published in 2026, the research also revealed that the enzyme can degrade penicillin in laboratory experiments. The findings offer new insights into microbial plastic degradation while raising questions about the relationship between environmental enzymes and antibiotic resistance (Lerner et al., 2026).

How Does the Pac-Man Enzyme Break Down Plastic?

Plastic pollution is difficult to manage because many conventional plastics resist biological decomposition. Some microorganisms, however, can break down particular biodegradable polymers using specialized enzymes.

Researchers from the University of Konstanz investigated microorganisms living in forest soil containing biodegradable plastic materials. They identified an enzyme belonging to the esterase family, which can break certain chemical bonds in polyester materials (Lerner et al., 2026).

The enzyme received its nickname because its active site—the region where chemical reactions occur—has an unusually open structure. This arrangement helps the enzyme interact with suitable polymer molecules.

What Did Scientists Discover in the Soil?

The researchers buried biodegradable plastic films in forest soil and also conducted controlled laboratory experiments. Several biodegradable materials degraded completely within approximately 250–330 days, whereas high-density polyethylene showed virtually no degradation under the laboratory conditions tested (Lerner et al., 2026).

This difference highlights an important scientific principle: a plastic's chemical structure strongly influences whether microorganisms can break it down.

The findings do not mean that bacteria can consume all plastic waste. Instead, they show that some materials are more accessible to microbial enzymes than others.

Why Is the Connection to Antibiotics Important?

The discovery became more surprising when researchers examined the enzyme's structure and activity. Laboratory experiments showed that it could also break down penicillin, an antibiotic.

The enzyme shares structural similarities with beta-lactamases, a family of enzymes that can inactivate certain beta-lactam antibiotics. However, the ability to degrade penicillin in a laboratory experiment does not by itself establish that the enzyme causes antibiotic resistance in living bacteria (Lerner et al., 2026).

Further research is needed to determine whether this activity has any meaningful consequences for microbial communities or public health.

Could This Discovery Help Reduce Plastic Pollution?

The research could help scientists develop better biodegradable materials and investigate new approaches to biological recycling. Designing polymers with chemical bonds that suitable enzymes can break may make some plastics easier to process after use.

However, enzyme-based degradation is not a universal solution to plastic pollution. Conventional plastics, collection systems, waste management, and environmental conditions remain important challenges.

Conclusion

The discovery of the Pac-Man enzyme reveals how microorganisms can use specialized biochemical mechanisms to break down certain biodegradable plastics. Its additional ability to degrade penicillin makes it scientifically interesting beyond environmental biotechnology.

The next challenge is to determine how these enzymes work in real-world conditions and whether they can contribute safely and effectively to improved plastic recycling.

References

Lerner, H., Casaburi, D., Meier, N. C., Bernabeu, L., Eck, M., Meck, S., & Schleheck, D. (2026). Bacterial family-VIII esterase displays dual activities: Hydrolysis of polyester bioplastics and β-lactam antibiotics. The ISME Journal, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrag203

University of Konstanz. (2026, October 16). Scientists discover a plastic-eating “Pac-Man” enzyme with a surprising secret. ScienceDaily. Read the research news report

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