Eminyakeni ethile eyedlule nangengozi ngokuphelele, iqembu lososayensi, ngenkathi liphenya ukwakheka kwenhlabathi yesitshalo esidala saseJapan sokuphinda isetshenziswe kabusha, lathola, ngokumangala ngokuphelele, ukuthi, ngemuva kokuthi zonke lezi zinsalela zazineminyaka eminingi kangaka zisenhlabathini , imvelo yayidale uhlobo lwama-bacterium adla ngopulasitiki.
Le ndaba yavela ekugcineni konyaka we-2016, umzuzwana lapho wonke umuntu ayejabule impela ngoba, njengoba sishilo, ngengozi ngokuphelele besithole ukuthi kungaba yini isisombululo kwenye yezinkinga ezinkulu kakhulu ezibhekene nabantu njengokungcola nokusetshenziswa kabusha kwepulasitiki. Njengoba ukwazi ukubona, isixazululo, futhi, sanikwa sona ngokwemvelo ngesimo sebhaktheriya eseliguqukile ukondla upulasitiki owawuphethe indawo yalo yokuhlala.
Sekunikelwe amahora amaningi ukucwaninga ngaleli bhaktheriya, iphrojekthi eqhubekela phambili ukunikeza isisombululo esikhanya kakhulu futhi esisebenza kangcono
Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi kube ngenye indlela, ososayensi abaningi babenentshisekelo kulolu hlobo olusha lwama-bacteria futhi, emva kwaso sonke lesi sikhathi, kubonakala sengathi bekuyiqembu le IPortsmouth University e-UK eholwa ngusosayensi wezinto eziphilayo UJohn McGeehan leyo eye yaba nemiphumela emihle kakhulu, njengokulawula ukwenza i-enzyme, ngokusho kwalabo ababhekele iphrojekthi ngendlela eyenzeke ngengozi ngokuphelele, ekwaziyo ukubola ipulasitiki ngokushesha okukhulu.
Akungabazeki, njengoba ososayensi uqobo lwabo bachazile, sibhekene nesisombululo esibalulekile esingaba khona enkingeni enkulu ehlobene nepulasitiki bonke abantu abanayo namuhla. Ngokwama-biologist uqobo kanye nomqondisi wale phrojekthi UJohn McGeehan:
Ithuba livame ukudlala indima ebalulekile ocwaningweni oluyisisekelo lwesayensi, futhi ukutholakala kwethu lapha akunjalo. Lokhu kutholakala okungalindelekile kusikisela ukuthi kukhona indawo yokuqhubeka nokwenza ngcono la ma-enzyme, okusisondeza eduze kwesisombululo sokuphinda kusetshenziswe intaba ekhula njalo yamapulasitiki alahliwe.
Ithimba labaphenyi likwazile ukwenza i-enzyme enamandla kakhulu futhi esebenza kahle
Ukujula kancane ocwaningweni olwenziwe yithimba likaJohn McGeehan, ngokusobala ngenkathi kuphenywa isakhiwo sangaphakathi se U-Ideonella sakaiensis, yile ndlela ngesikhathi igciwane laseJapan elikwazi ukondla ngopulasitiki labhabhadiswa, bathola ngengozi ngokuphelele futhi bamangala Isakhiwo esiguqukile esivumele ukuthi sidilize amapulasitiki e-PET, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-polyethylene terephthalate plastiki.
Inkinga ngaleli microbe encane ukuthi, yize ibingadla upulasitiki, iqiniso ukuthi ayenzi ngokukhulu ukushesha, okuthile okuyinkinga, ikakhulukazi uma sifuna ukuzisebenzisa ukuqeda ukungcola okukhulu kwepulasitiki uMhlaba onakho. Kuleli qophelo, yisho ukuthi sikhuluma ngegciwane okufanele liphathe ukudla okungaphansi kwezigidigidi zamathani emfucumfucu aqoqeka namuhla ezindaweni zokulahla imfucumfucu futhi ekugcineni, agcine esephonswa olwandle.
Ngenxa yokuthi ososayensi bakwazile ukuthola nokuhlukanisa ukwakheka kokuguquka kwegciwane elincane laseJapan, bakwazile ukwenza i-enzyme, babhabhadiswa njenge I-PETase, okukuvumela ukuthi kuphumelele kakhulu ekwephuleni ipulasitiki. Ukuhlola ukusebenza kahle kwe-PETase ezingeni lamangqamuzana, abacwaningi abaphethe iphrojekthi banqume ukusebenzisa ama-X-ray ukukhiqiza imodeli enamacala amathathu ubukhulu. Ngale modeli ezandleni zakho, bakwazile ukuthola ukuthi iPETase ingathatha kanjani futhi ilulaze ipulasitiki, futhi okungcono kakhulu, ukuthi ingayithuthukisa kanjani le ndlela. Ukulalela amazwi owakho UJohn McGeehan:
Ngemuva kwamahora angama-96 nje, kungabonakala ngokusobala ngesibonakhulu se-electron ukuthi iPET yehlisa isithunzi iPET, futhi lolu vivinyo lusebenzisa izibonelo zangempela zalokho okutholakala olwandle nasezindaweni zokulahla udoti.
Ukukwazi ukubona ukusebenza kwangaphakathi kwalesi sithakazelo semvelo kusinikeze amapulani okuklama i-enzyme esheshayo nephumelelayo.
Ngokumangazayo, sithole ukuthi i-mutase PETase idlula igciwane lemvelo kwi-PET elulazayo. Ukuqonda ukuthi i-PET ibopha kanjani esakhiweni se-PETase sisebenzisa amathuluzi wekhompiyutha kusize ukucacisa izizathu zalokhu kusebenza okungcono. Ngokunikezwe le miphumela, kusobala ukuthi amandla amakhulu asele ukuthuthukisa ibhizinisi lakho.