Date of Award
6-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2025
Department
Bioengineering
First Advisor
Zhiwen Zhang
Abstract
This thesis evaluated Alcanivorax Borkumensis’ (A. Borkumensis) ability to degrade polystyrene in a pyruvate-rich environment to determine if the bacteria could degrade the microplastic when grown in pyruvate. The thesis explored the metabolic behavior of A. Borkumensis when pyruvate is used to start the gluconeogenesis pathway, which is the start of the metabolic pathway when degradation occurs. The bacterium was grown in ONR7a medium, that was adjusted to a pH of 8.1, and 1% pyruvate; then it was processed by centrifugation and washing before experimentation began. Trials were conducted to iteratively refine the process and verify trial results. Bacterial growth was determined by creating OD600 curves and verifying with Zobell Marine agar plates to ensure OD600 results were not the result of debris. The findings of this thesis established conditions for which A. Borkumensis was able to degrade polystyrene and suggests a metabolic pathway that can appear from A. Borkumensis adapting to a nutrient deficient environment. The analysis and discussion explore a CO2 metabolic pathway that has no prior literature.
Recommended Citation
Boze, Alanna, "Microplastic Eaters" (2025). Bioengineering Senior Theses. 139.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/bioe_senior/139
