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

Clermont-Ferrand, France, July 20th 2022 (06:45 AM CEST).

Carbios (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB), pionnier dans le développement de solutions enzymatiques pour la fin de vie des polymères plastiques et textiles, annonce la publication d’un article intitulé « An NMR look at an engineered PET depolymerase » dans la revue scientifique internationale Biophysical Journal. Les scientifiques de Carbios et de son partenaire de renom, Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI) sont à la pointe de la recherche en enzymologie et innovent chaque jour afin d’optimiser la fin de vie des plastiques et des 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 epolymerization 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.”