Public outreach
Publication
Matamouros S, Tenhaef J, Bida A, Noack S, Bott M. Rapid Identification of Superior Endogenous Signal Peptides for Heterologous Protein Secretion by Corynebacterium glutamicum Through Modular Cloning and Automation. Microb Biotechnol. 2026 ;19(1). doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.70299Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication
Wongwattanarat S, Schorn A, Klose L, Carré C, Malvis Romero A, Liese A, Pérez-García P, Streit WR. A combined chemo-enzymatic treatment for the oxidation of epoxy-based carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs). Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2025;13:1670548. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1670548
Publication
Liu X, Chow J, Wang W, Dierkes R, Feliu N, Schulz F, Streit WR, Parak WJ. Enzyme-Loaded Microcapsules as Intracellular Organelles for the Degradation of Nanoplastics by Cells. ACS Nano. 2026 Feb 10;20(5):4106-4115. doi: 10.1021
Publication
Pérez-García P, Sass K, Wongwattanarat S, Amann J, Feuerriegel G, Neumann T, Bäse N, Schmitz LS, Dierkes RF, Gurschke MF, Wypych A, Bounabi H, de Divitiis M, Vollstedt C, Streit WR. Microbial plastic degradation: enzymes, pathways, challenges, and perspectives. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2025;89(4). doi: 10.1128/mmbr.00087-24
Publication
Dewi, S., Horbach, T., Neumann, T., Jaeger, K. E., Streit, W., Hartmann, L. Evaluation of Pretreatment Strategies and Combinations of Enzymes for Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate. Journal of Polymer Science. 2025. doi: 10.1002/pol.20250254
Publication
Puetz H, Illig AM, Vorobii M, Janknecht C, Contreras F, Flemig F, Schwaneberg U. KnowVolution of an Efficient Polyamidase through Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Incrementally Docked Oligomeric Substrates. ChemSusChem. 2025;18(15). doi: 10.1002/cssc.202500257
Publication
Zhang H, Dierkes RF, Perez-Garcia P, Costanzi E, Dittrich J, Cea PA, Gurschke M, Applegate V, Partus K, Schmeisser C, Pfleger C, Gohlke H, Smits SHJ, Chow J, Streit WR. The metagenome-derived esterase PET40 is highly promiscuous and hydrolyses polyethylene terephthalate (PET). FEBS J. 2024;291(1):70-91. doi: 10.1111/febs.16924
Publication
Silverio MP, Neumann T, Schaubruch K, Heermann R, Pérez-García P, Chow J, Streit WR. Metagenome-derived SusD-homologs affiliated with Bacteroidota bind to synthetic polymers. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2024;90(7). doi: 10.1128/aem.00933-24
Publication
Perez-Garcia P, Chow J, Costanzi E, Gurschke M, Dittrich J, Dierkes RF, Molitor R, Applegate V, Feuerriegel G, Tete P, Danso D, Thies S, Schumacher J, Pfleger C, Jaeger KE, Gohlke H, Smits SHJ, Schmitz RA, Streit WR. An archaeal lid-containing feruloyl esterase degrades polyethylene terephthalate. Commun Chem. 2023;6(1):193. doi: 10.1038/s42004-023-00998-z
Publication
Puetz, H., Janknecht, C., Contreras, F., Vorobii, M., Kurkina, T., Schwaneberg, U. Validated high-throughput screening system for directed evolution of nylon-depolymerizing enzymes. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2023;11(43), 15513-15522. doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c01575
News Program
Pablo Pérez García, Wolfgang R. Streit
Tagesschau - "PET46" in der Tagesschau (NDR)
Experiment
Pablo Pérez García
Die lange Nacht der Museen 2025: Enzymatischer Abbau von PET Plastik
Presentation and Discussion
Pablo Pérez García
Teacher’s Science Club: Können Bakterien Mikroplastik auflösen? Biologische Wege zur Reduktion von Plastikverschmutzung
https://www.sfz-hamburg.de/teachers-science-club-7-15-04-2025/
Presentation and Discussion
Viktoria Warth
Girls Day 2025: Development of an Amidase Screening Platform
Interview
Pablo Pérez García, Robert F. Dierkes
DAS! - Im NDR: Plastikfressende Bakterien – Enzym soll PET zersetzen
Magazine Report
Pablo Pérez García, Wolfgang R. Streit
Schleswig-Holstein-"PET46" im Schleswig-Holstein Magazin (NDR)
Lecture
Pablo Pérez García
Science Café NORDMETALL Stiftung für MINT Schulen -Plastikabbauende Bakterien und Enzymen
Publication
Marasco R, Fusi M, Coscolín C, Barozzi A, Almendral D, Bargiela R, Nutschel CG neé, Pfleger C, Dittrich J, Gohlke H, Matesanz R, Sanchez-Carrillo S, Mapelli F, Chernikova TN, Golyshin PN, Ferrer M, Daffonchio D (2023). Enzyme adaptation to habitat thermal legacy shapes the thermal plasticity of marine microbiomes. Nat Commun 141 14:1–15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36610-0
Publication
Weihmann R, Kubicki S, Bitzenhofer NL, Domröse A, Bator I, Kirschen L-M, Kofler F, Funk A, Tiso T, Blank LM, Jaeger K-E, Drepper T, Thies S, Loeschcke A (2023). The modular pYT vector series employed for chromosomal gene integration and expression to produce carbazoles and glycolipids in P. putida. FEMS Microbes 4:1–17. doi: 10.1093/femsmc/xtac030
Publication
Han, Y., Kinfu, B. M., Blombach, F., Cackett, G., Zhang, H., Pérez-García, P., et al. (2022). A novel metagenome-derived viral RNA polymerase and its application in a cell-free expression system for metagenome screening. Sci. Rep. 12, 17882. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-22383-x.
Publication
El Harrar, T., Davari, M. D., Jaeger, K.-E., Schwaneberg, U., and Gohlke, H. (2022). Critical assessment of structure-based approaches to improve protein resistance in aqueous ionic liquids by enzyme-wide saturation mutagenesis. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. 20, 399–409. doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2021.12.018.
Publication
Weigert, S., Perez‐Garcia, P., Gisdon, F. J., Gagsteiger, A., Schweinshaut, K., Ullmann, G. M., et al. (2022). Investigation of the halophilic PEThydrolase PET6 from Vibrio gazogenes. Protein Sci. 31. doi:10.1002/pro.4500.
Publication
Chow, J., Perez‐Garcia, P., Dierkes, R., and Streit, W. R. (2022). Microbial enzymes will offer limited solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis. Microb. Biotechnol. doi:10.1111/1751-7915.14135.
Publication
El Harrar, T., and Gohlke, H. (2022). Cumulative Millisecond-Long Sampling for a Comprehensive Energetic Evaluation of Aqueous Ionic Liquid Effects on Amino Acid Interactions. J. Chem. Inf. Model. doi:10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01123.
Publication
Dierkes, R. F., Wypych, A., Pérez-García, P., Danso, D., Chow, J., and Streit, W. R. (2022). An Ultra-Sensitive Comamonas thiooxidans Biosensor for the Rapid Detection of Enzymatic Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Degradation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/aem.01603-22.
Publication
Antranikian, G. and Streit, W.R. (2022) Microorganisms harbor keys to a circular bioeconomy making them useful tools in fighting plastic pollution and rising CO2 levels. Extrem. 2022 261 26: 1–11. doi: 10.1007/S00792-022-01261-4
Publication
Zhang, H., Perez-Garcia, P., Dierkes, R.F., Applegate, V., Schumacher, J., Chibani, C.M., et al. (2022) The Bacteroidetes Aequorivita sp. and Kaistella jeonii Produce Promiscuous Esterases With PET-Hydrolyzing Activity. Front. Microbiol. 12: 3874. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.803896
Publication
Buchholz, P.C.F., Feuerriegel, G., Zhang, H., Perez‐Garcia, P., Nover, L.-L., Chow, J., et al. (2022) Plastics degradation by hydrolytic enzymes: The plastics‐active enzymes database—PAZyProteins Struct. Funct. Bioinforma. https://doi.org/10.1002/prot.26325
Publication
El Harrar, T., Frieg, B., Davari, M.D., Jaeger, K.E., Schwaneberg, U., and Gohlke, H. (2021) Aqueous ionic liquids redistribute local enzyme stability via long-range perturbation pathways. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. 19: 4248–4264. doi:10.1016/J.CSBJ.2021.07.001
Publication
Perez-Garcia, P., Kobus, S., Gertzen, C.G.W., Hoeppner, A., Holzscheck, N., Strunk, C.H., et al. (2021) A promiscuous ancestral enzyme´s structure unveils protein variable regions of the highly diverse metallo-β-lactamase family. Commun. Biol. 2021 41 4: 1–12. doi:10.1038/s42003-021-01671-8
Publication
Harrar, T. El, Davari, M.D., Jaeger, K.-E., Schwaneberg, U., and Gohlke, H. (2021) Critical assessment of structure-based approaches to improve protein resistance in aqueous ionic liquids by enzyme-wide saturation mutagenesis. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2021.12.018
Publication
Höppner A, Bollinger A, Kobus S, Thies S, Coscolín C, Ferrer M, Jaeger K-E, Smits SHJ. Crystal structures of a novel family IV esterase in free and substrate‐bound form. FEBS J; 2021;. 288: 3570–3584. doi:10.1111/febs.15680
Publication
Nutschel, C., Coscolín, C., David, B., Mulnaes, D., Ferrer, M., Jaeger, K.-E., and Gohlke, H. (2021) Promiscuous Esterases Counterintuitively Are Less Flexible than Specific Ones. J. Chem. Inf. Model. 61: 2383–2395. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00152
Publication
Cui, H., Eltoukhy, L., Zhang, L., Markel, U., Jaeger, K.E., Davari, M.D., and Schwaneberg, U. (2021) Less Unfavorable Salt Bridges on the Enzyme Surface Result in More Organic Cosolvent Resistance. Angew. Chemie - Int. Ed. 60: 11448–11456. doi: 10.1002/anie.202101642
Blog-Entry
Molitor R
Blaue Biotechnologie – Eine Expedition zum Nordatlantischen Müllstrudel
JülichBlog Bioökonomie
Publication
Perez-Garcia P, Kobus S, Gertzen CGW, Hoeppner A, Holzscheck N, Strunk CH, Huber H, Jaeger K-E, Gohlke H, Kovacic F, Smits SHJ, Streit W, Chow J. (2021). A promiscuous ancestral enzyme´s structure unveils protein variable regions of the highly diverse metallo-β-lactamase family. Commun Biol. 2021;4: 132. doi:10.1038/s42003-021-01671-8
Publication
Höppner A, Bollinger A, Kobus S, Thies S, Coscolín C, Ferrer M, Jaeger K-E, Smits SHJ. Crystal structures of a novel family IV esterase in free and substrate‐bound form. FEBS J; 2020; febs.15680. doi:10.1111/febs.15680
Publication
Bollinger A, Molitor R, Thies S, Koch R, Coscolín C, Ferrer M, Jaeger K-E (2020) Organic-Solvent-Tolerant Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases for Organic Synthesis. Appl Environ Microbiol 86:e00106-20 . https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00106-20
Newspaper article
Forschung in Düsseldorf: So sollen die Meere sauber werden
https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/duesseldorf/duesseldorf-bakterien-sollen-das-meer-reinigen_aid-49560371
Publication
Bollinger A, Thies S, Knieps-Grünhagen E, Gertzen C, Kobus S, Höppner A, Ferrer M, Gohlke H, Smits SHJ, Jaeger K-E (2020) A Novel Polyester Hydrolase From the Marine Bacterium Pseudomonas aestusnigri – Structural and Functional Insights. Front Microbiol 11:114 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00114
Press release
Vier neue Projekte zur Bioökonomie an der HHU
