Ama-enzyme adla ipulasitiki okudiliza ipulasitiki ukuze igaywe kabusha

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• February 19, 2022

Ngokusho kwe-University of Portsmouth, iqembu labacwaningi elathola ngaphambilini i-enzyme edla ipulasitiki, i-PETase, seliyihlanganise nenye i-enzyme ukuze kusheshiswe inqubo yokuwohloka kwepulasitiki. Le enzyme entsha yehlisa izinga lepulasitiki ngokushesha okuphindwe kasithupha kune-enzyme yangaphambili, futhi maduzane ingasetshenziswa kabanzi ukuze igaywe kabusha.

Umongo wama-enzyme adla ipulasitiki

Ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki kungcolise izindawo eziningi zemvelo emhlabeni; empeleni, imibiko iyanda ebonisa ukuthi abantu ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba bayaphefumula futhi badle izinhlayiya ze-microplastic. Ngenhlanhla, abacwaningi benze i-super-enzyme engasiza ekugayweni kabusha kwepulasitiki. 

Inguqulo yakamuva yale-super-enzyme yenziwa ngokuxuba ama-enzyme amabili ahlukene; zombili zitholwe ku-bug edla ipulasitiki etholwe yi-Japan ngo-2016. Ososayensi bethula inguqulo yobunjiniyela ye-enzyme yokuqala ngo-2018, engakwazi ukudiliza amapulasitiki ezinsukwini ezimbalwa. I-super-enzyme yakamuva kakhulu isebenza ngokushesha okuphindwe kasithupha, inikeze umfutho ezinhlelweni ezizayo zokugaywa kabusha. Le-super-enzyme ingasebenza nasezingeni lokushisa lasekamelweni. 

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Umqondisi kanye nombhali oholayo we-Centre for Enzyme Innovation eNyuvesi yasePortsmouth, uJohn McGeehan, uthe lokhu kuthuthukiswa kokusebenzisa ama-enzyme kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile ekusetshenzisweni kabusha kwepulasitiki nokunciphisa ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki. Ubuye waveza ukuthi ososayensi bathole imali eyanele yokwenza ucwaningo olwengeziwe, futhi imiphumela ephumelelayo ingase isho ukuthi iPolyethylene Terephthalate (PET) ekhona ngolunye usuku ingase igaywe kabusha esikhundleni sokusebenzisa izinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi ukuze kukhiqizwe imikhiqizo emisha yepulasitiki. 

Ngaphezu kwalokho, abacwaningi manje bahlola ukuthi la ma-enzyme angaphinde acwengwe kanjani ukuze asebenze ngokushesha nakakhulu. Ukuxuba lawa ma-enzyme amasha adla ipulasitiki nangaphambili alulaza imicu yemvelo kungenza izinto ezixutshiwe ziphinde zigaywe kabusha—inqubo enzima kakhulu futhi ebiza kakhulu kusukela ngo-2021.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, abacwaningi bathole nezimbungulu ezidla amanye amapulasitiki, njenge-polyurethane—into esetshenziswa kakhulu kodwa engavamile ukugaywa kabusha.

Izicelo zama-enzyme adla ipulasitiki

Ama-enzyme adla ipulasitiki angasetshenziswa:

• Ngenzuzo ukuguqula udoti wepulasitiki uwenze izinto ezingavuthiwe ukuze zisetshenziswe ezimbonini ngendlela eyongayo.
• Nciphisa udoti wepulasitiki kumaphrojekthi amakhulu okuhweba.
• Yehlisa usayizi wokulahlwa kukadoti emhlabeni (okuhlanganisa nendawo enkulu kadoti yasePacific) futhi ulungise izindawo ezithintekile.
• Sebenzisa kabusha izingubo zendwangu exubile embonini yezemfashini, ukusiza umkhakha ukuthi ufinyelele imigomo yokulahlwa eyindilinga. 

Imibuzo ongaphawula ngayo

• Ingabe lama-enzyme adla ipulasitiki angaba ikhambi lezinkinga zomhlaba zemfucumfucu yepulasitiki?
• Kuzokwenzekani emfucumfucwini wepulasitiki ngokuzayo?
• Izindlela zamanje zokulawulwa kwemfucuza zingashintsha kanjani ngokwethulwa kwalawa ma-enzyme amasha?
• Ingabe ukugaywa kabusha kwepulasitiki ngama-enzyme adla ipulasitiki kuyisixazululo esingokonga?