Eco-microbiology: discovering biochemical enhancers of PET biodegradation by .

Unlabelled: The scale of plastic pollution boggles the mind. Nearly 400 megatons of virgin plastics are produced annually, with an environmental release rate of 80%, and plastic waste, including microplastics and nanoplastics, is associated with a plethora of problems. The naturally evolved abilities of plastic-degrading microbes offer a starting point for generating sustainable and eco-centric solutions to plastic pollution-a field of endeavor we term eco-microbiology.