Biodegradation of rubber in cultures of Rhodococcus rhodochrous and by its enzyme latex clearing protein.

The biodegradation of rubber materials is considered as a sustainable recycling alternative, highlighting the use of microorganisms and enzymes in oxidative processes of natural rubber. Currently, the main challenge is the treatment of rubber materials such as waste tyres, where the mixture of rubber polymers with different additives and the cross-linked structure obtained due to the vulcanisation process positions them as highly persistent materials. This study characterises the degradation of different rubber-containing substrates in in vivo and in vitro processes using the bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous and the oxygenase latex clearing protein (Lcp) from the same strain.