Getting Students Invested in the Plastic Problem: Lab Activities about PET hydrolase
Presenter(s)
Karina Kpahn
Abstract
If the world continues our current trend of plastic production and waste, the UN predicts that we will have over 1.1 billion metric tonnes of plastic waste accumulated by 2050. In 2016, researchers reported a bacterium (Ideonella sakaiensis) that can use polyethylene terepthalate (PET) as a carbon source. Since then, many researchers have studied the I. sakaiensis enzyme PET hydrolase (PETase) and tried to optimize it for recycling and other applications. We believe that educating students about the current plastic problem and showing them different ways that chemistry can be used to solve this environmental issue is an important part of working towards a sustainable solution. We gathered information from previously published research to create various lab activities for upper- and lower-division chemistry courses. Upper-division Biochemistry students purified a His-tagged PETase construct using affinity and size-exclusion chromatography and validated their purification. Organic Chemistry students measured degradation of PET from various sources by purified PETase.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Chemistry
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Emily Ruff
Location
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Start Date
4-23-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 3:00 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
2b=2pm-3pm
Poster Number
30
Getting Students Invested in the Plastic Problem: Lab Activities about PET hydrolase
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
If the world continues our current trend of plastic production and waste, the UN predicts that we will have over 1.1 billion metric tonnes of plastic waste accumulated by 2050. In 2016, researchers reported a bacterium (Ideonella sakaiensis) that can use polyethylene terepthalate (PET) as a carbon source. Since then, many researchers have studied the I. sakaiensis enzyme PET hydrolase (PETase) and tried to optimize it for recycling and other applications. We believe that educating students about the current plastic problem and showing them different ways that chemistry can be used to solve this environmental issue is an important part of working towards a sustainable solution. We gathered information from previously published research to create various lab activities for upper- and lower-division chemistry courses. Upper-division Biochemistry students purified a His-tagged PETase construct using affinity and size-exclusion chromatography and validated their purification. Organic Chemistry students measured degradation of PET from various sources by purified PETase.
Comments
Kpahn, Karina J