Microbial transformation of plastics in SE Asian seas: a hazard and a solution

该项目旨在通过了解生活在塑料表面的微生物如何影响污染威胁，并探索这些微生物为解决问题提供解决方案的潜力，来减少海洋塑料污染对东南亚的影响。全球十大塑料垃圾排放国中有五个向东南亚海洋排放塑料垃圾，但人们对塑料圈对生态系统和该地区6.5亿人构成的威胁知之甚少。塑料圈是指塑料和生活在塑料上的微生物的混合物。我们需要描述海洋中生活在塑料上的微生物的特征，并探索它们如何影响塑料的分解。通过这些，我们将了解微生物如何改变塑料表面，并决定塑料碎屑在海洋环境中的最终命运。我们需要测量这些塑料圈对海洋环境和野生动物的影响，以便准确地描述塑料圈对该地区生态系统构成的危害，而不仅仅是塑料。我们将寻求去除塑料的解决方案，并建立一个由地区利益相关者组成的知情和联系的社区，以减少当前和未来塑料污染对环境的破坏。该项目协调来自新加坡、英国、印度尼西亚、菲律宾和越南的研究人员的专业知识，开展塑料微生物定植和转化的实验室和现场实验。我们将分析生物膜的DNA，并使用显微镜测量塑料的降解，以确定生活在塑料上的微生物以及它们如何影响塑料的分解。我们将量化关键生境和动物的塑料圈负荷的数量、类型和位置，以衡量塑料圈对选定的沿海生态系统-红树林、珊瑚礁和海滩-的影响。我们将引导在生物膜中发现的酶用于生物工程回收，帮助向循环塑料经济过渡，在循环塑料经济中，废塑料在进入海洋之前被拦截，并转化为有用的产品。我们将与区域政策组织和行动小组协调，以发展一个知情和联系在一起的塑料利益相关者社区。我们将举办研讨会，分享专业知识，传播我们的想法，并与利益攸关方接触，以制定适用于东南亚地区的解决方案。该项目将提供一个新的视角，展示海洋塑料的威胁是如何由微生物中介的，促进创新的解决方案，并加强海洋塑料污染的区域治理。

This project aims to reduce the impact of marine plastic pollution in South East Asia by understanding how microorganisms living on plastic surfaces affect the pollution threat and by exploring the potential of these microorganisms to provide a solution to the problem. SE Asian seas receive outputs from five of the top ten global emitters of plastic debris but there is little understanding of the threat to ecosystems and 650 million humans living in the region posed by 'plastispheres', the term used to describe the combination of plastic and the microorganisms that live on it. We need to characterise the microorganisms living on plastics in the sea and explore how they affect the breakdown of plastic. Through this we will understand how microorganisms transform plastic surfaces and determine the ultimate fate of plastic detritus in the marine environment. We need to measure the impact these plastispheres have on marine environments and wildlife in order to accurately characterise the hazard posed by plastispheres, and not just plastics, to the region's ecosystems. We will search for solutions to removing plastics and grow an informed and connected community of regional stakeholders in order to reduce environmental damage by current and future plastic pollution.This project coordinates the expertise of researchers from Singapore, UK, Indonesia,the Philippines and Vietnam to carry out laboratory and field experiments on microbial colonisation and transformation of plastic. We will analyse the DNA of biofilms and use microscopy to measure plastic degradation to identify the microorganisms living on the plastics and how they affect the plastic breakdown. We will quantify the volume, type and location of plastisphere loads in key habitats and animals to measure the impact plastispheres have on selected coastal ecosystems - mangroves, coral reefs and beaches. We will direct enzymes discovered in biofilms for use in bioengineered recycling, helping the transition towards a circular plastics economy in which waste plastic is intercepted before it enters the sea and is converted into useful products. We will coordinate with regional policy organisations and action groups to grow an informed and connected community of plastic stakeholders. We will conduct workshops to share expertise, disseminate our ideas and engage with stakeholders in order to develop solutions applicable to the SE Asian region. The project will give a novel perspective that shows how the threats from marine plastic are mediated by microorganisms, facilitating innovative solutions and enhancing regional governance of marine plastic pollution.