Asphaltenes biodegradation from heavy crude oils by the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.

Heavy crude oil reserves are characterized by their high viscosity and density, largely due to significant quantities of asphaltenes. The removal of asphaltene precipitates from oil industry installations is crucial, as they can contaminate catalysts and obstruct pipelines. Therefore, this study aimed to bio-transform heavy oil asphaltenes into smaller molecules using the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, known for its ability to efficiently degrade hydrophobic substrates.

Post-Consumer Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) Depolymerization by : A Comparison between Hydrolysis Using Cell-Free Enzymatic Extracts and Microbial Submerged Cultivation.

Several microorganisms have been reported as capable of acting on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to some extent, such as , which is a yeast known to produce various hydrolases of industrial interest. The present work aims to evaluate PET depolymerization by using two different strategies. In the first one, biocatalysts were produced during solid-state fermentation (SSF-YL), extracted and subsequently used for the hydrolysis of PET and bis(2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET), a key intermediate in PET hydrolysis.

Improved production of biocatalysts by Yarrowia lipolytica using natural sources of the biopolyesters cutin and suberin, and their application in hydrolysis of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET).

Since plastic pollution emerged as an urgent environmental problem, different biocatalysts have been tested for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) hydrolysis. This work evaluated three different possible inducers for lipases and/or esterases, two natural sources of biopolymers (apple peels and commercial cork) and PET, as supplements in the solid-state fermentation of soybean bran by Yarrowia lipolytica. The obtained enzymatic extracts displaying different levels of lipase and esterase activities were then tested for PET depolymerization.

A critical view on the technology readiness level (TRL) of microbial plastics biodegradation.

Accumulation of plastic wastes and their effects on the ecosystem have triggered an alarm regarding environmental damage, which explains the massive investigations over the past few years, aiming technological alternatives for their proper destination and valorization. In this context, biological degradation emerges as a green route for plastic processing and recycling in a circular economy approach. Some of the main polymers produced worldwide are poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), which are among the most recalcitrant materials in the environment.

Advanced oxidative processes and membrane separation for micropollutant removal from biotreated domestic wastewater.

The presence of micropollutants in sewage is already widely known, as well as the effects caused by natural and synthetic hormones. Thus, it is necessary to apply treatments to remove them from water systems, such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and membrane separation processes, which can oxidize and remove high concentrations of organic compounds. This work investigated the removal of 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and estriol (E3) from biotreated sewage.