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Majors: Mathematics

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Investigating the Degradation of Polyurethane by Microbial Enzymes Plastic pollution is an urgent problem threatening the future of our planet. Since many plastics are chemically stable, they persist in the environment long after disposal and resist degradation. However, the use of biological tools like enzymes is a promising method to reduce the impact of these stubborn pollutants. Additionally, the specificity of enzymes grants the potential to transform plastic waste into valuable chemicals, which would benefit the economy as well as the environment. Polyurethane is a diverse family of plastics that is commonly used in foams and coatings. Unlike other types of plastics, polyurethanes are defined by their linkages rather than a specific repeating monomer. This diversity makes studying polyurethane reactions complex. In this work, we investigate the ability of a previously identified Pseudomonas bacterial isolate to degrade polyurethane. After selecting genes using genomic analysis of the isolate, we showed that one enzyme has the ability to reduce the opacity of polyurethane on agar plates, suggesting its role in degrading the plastic. Subsequently, mass spectrometry was used to attempt to identify the specific breakdown products of the reaction. These findings further our understanding of the capacity of microbes to degrade plastic, which has implications for the health of our environment. Oral Session 3: 12:15 PM-1:30 PM CT Room: MSC 2300 B Presenter #4: Sofia C. Prieto Major: Economics

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Texas A&M University / 2026

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Majors: Mathematics