Oososayensi bakhuthazwa yiPac-Man kwaye baqulunqa "i-cocktail" yokutya eplastikhi, enokunceda ekupheliseni inkunkuma yeplastiki.
Inezinto ezimbini ze-enzyme-PETase kunye neMHETase-eveliswe yintsholongwane ebizwa ngokuba yi-Ideonella sakaiensis ezondla ngeebhotile zeplastiki.
Ngokungafaniyo nokuthotywa kwendalo, okuthatha amakhulu eminyaka, le enzyme inkulu inokuguqula iplastikhi ibe "zizinto" zayo zentsusa kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa.
Ezi enzymes zimbini zisebenza kunye, njenge "Pac-Man ezimbini ezidityaniswe ngumtya" ezihlafuna kwibhokisi yesimuncumuncu.
Le enzayim intsha intsha igaya iplastikhi amaxesha ama-6 ngokukhawuleza kune-enzyme yasekuqaleni yePETase eyafunyanwa kwi-2018.
Eyona nto kujoliswe kuyo yi-polyethylene terephthalate (PET), eyona thermoplastic ixhaphakileyo isetyenziselwa ukwenza iibhotile zesiselo, iimpahla kunye neekhaphethi ezilahlwayo, ezihlala zithatha amakhulu eminyaka ukubola kwindalo esingqongileyo.
Unjingalwazi uJohn McGeehan weYunivesithi yase Portsmouth uxelele iarhente yeendaba ye-PA ukuba ngoku, sifumana ezi zixhobo zisisiseko kwizibonelelo zamandulo ezifana neoyile kunye negesi yendalo. Oku akunakulondolozeka.
"Kodwa ukuba sinokongeza ii-enzymes kwinkcitho yeplastiki, singayiphula ngeentsuku ezimbalwa."
Kwi-2018, uNjingalwazi McGeehan kunye neqela lakhe bakhubeka kuhlobo oluguquliweyo lwe-enzyme ebizwa ngokuba yiPETase enokwaphula iplastiki ngeentsuku nje ezimbalwa.
Kwisifundo sabo esitsha, iqela lophando laxuba i-PETase kunye nenye i-enzyme ebizwa ngokuba yi-MHETase kwaye yafumanisa ukuba "ukucoleka kweebhotile zeplastiki kuphantse kwaphindeka kabini."
Emva koko, abaphandi basebenzise ubunjineli bemfuza ukudibanisa ezi enzyme zimbini ngokudibeneyo kwilabhoratri, njengo "ukudibanisa iiPac-Man ezimbini ngentambo."
"I-PETase izakugungxula umphezulu weplastiki, kwaye iMHETase iya kuthi gqolo ukusika, jonga ke ukuba singazisebenzisa ngokudibeneyo na ukulingisa imeko kwindalo, kubonakala kuyinto yendalo." UNjingalwazi McGeehan uthe.
"Uvavanyo lwethu lokuqala lubonise ukuba basebenza ngcono kunye, ke sigqibe kwelokuba sizame ukubaxhuma."
"Siyavuya kakhulu ukubona ukuba i-enzyme yethu entsha yesimeric iphinda-phindwe kathathu ngokukhawuleza kune-enzyme eyahlukileyo yendalo, evula iindlela ezintsha zokuphucula."
UNjingalwazi McGeehan usebenzise uMthombo wokuKhanya kweDayimane, isynchrotron ebekwe eOxfordshire. Isebenzisa iX-reyi enamandla ali-10 lamawaka ezigidi ekhanya ngakumbi kunelanga njengemicroscope, eyomeleleyo ngokwaneleyo ukuba ibone iiathom ezizodwa.
Oku kuvumele iqela lophando ukumisela ubume obunemilinganiselo emithathu ye-enzyme ye-MHETase kwaye yabanika uyilo lweemolekyuli ukuqala ukuyila inkqubo ye-enzyme ekhawulezayo.
Ukongeza kwi-PET, le enzyme isenokusetyenziselwa i-PEF (i-polyethylene furanate), iswekile esekwe kwi-bioplastic esetyenziselwa iibhotile zebhiya, nangona ingenako ukophula ezinye iintlobo zeplastiki.
Iqela ngoku likhangela iindlela zokuqhubela phambili inkqubo yokubola ukuze itekhnoloji isetyenziselwe urhwebo.
"Ngokukhawuleza senza ii-enzymes, kokukhona siya kubola iiplastikhi, kwaye kokukhona inyusa izinga lokuthengisa," utshilo uNjingalwazi McGeehan.
Olu phando lupapashiwe kwiinkqubo zeSizwe seSayensi yezeNzululwazi.
