Prof Dr rer nat Ir Maya Shovitri MSi delivering her scientific oration at the Open Session of the ITS Professorial Council for the Inauguration of an ITS Professor

ITS Campus, ITS News –The plastic waste crisis remains a quite serious environmental issue in Indonesia. Not only piling up on land, plastic waste also pollutes coastal areas and waters. Responding to this, the 235th Professor of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Prof Dr rer nat Ir Maya Shovitri MSi, searched for bacterial isolates from the Wonorejo mangrove forest, Surabaya, that can degrade such waste.

The Professor from the Department of Biology ITS revealed that Indonesian waters are not only habitats for various types of fish, phytoplankton, and zooplankton, but also for microorganisms. Bacteria are one of the microorganisms that have unique metabolisms able to recycle various organic and inorganic materials. “This ability causes bacteria to survive in extreme conditions, one of which is surviving in piles of plastic waste,” she explained.

Armed with her expertise in microbiology, Maya has been pursuing research on plastic biodegradation by bacterial isolates since 2013. The woman born in the city of Malang focuses her research on the coastal area of the Wonorejo mangrove forest, Surabaya, which is known as a point of sediment and plastic accumulation. “This area becomes an ideal habitat to find specific bacteria that are able to survive and at the same time degrade plastic,” she explained.

In her research, the alumna of the University of Bremen, Germany applied various methods to search for bacterial isolates and measure the biodegradation level, namely imitating the Winogradsky column process, soil burial, and overlying water. Pieces of plastic bags (kresek) were inserted into sediment contaminated by plastic waste and seawater containing various types of bacteria. “This process allows the bacteria to adapt and then carry out degradation,” she added.

Prof Dr rer nat Ir Maya Shovitri MSi (seated) with students of the Department of Biology ITS who are part of the research team on plastic biodegradation by bacterial isolates in the Wonorejo mangrove forest, Surabaya

Furthermore, Maya carried out gradual bacterial isolation followed by complete characterization through biochemical character approaches and molecular 16S rRNA gene approaches. The research results found that bacteria of the genus Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus, and Pseudomonas can produce lipase enzymes, alkane hydroxylase, and ligninolytic enzymes. “This process is able to reduce the dry weight of plastic by 12 percent in 16 weeks,” she said.

To ensure sustainability in the knowledge, this research can be developed in understanding genes that play a role in plastic degradation, as well as abiotic factors that affect the effectiveness of enzyme activity in the bacteria. According to her, the more suitable the environmental conditions created, the higher the level of plastic degradation that can be achieved.

Aligned with that goal, this research not only enriches basic knowledge regarding tropical and molecular microorganism biodiversity, but also aligns with the efforts of developing green biotechnology that emphasizes environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions. This also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in point 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production, point 14 on Life Below Water, and point 15 on Life on Land.

Through the various beneficial efforts of this research, the Head of the Department of Biology ITS for the 2011–2015 period hopes that her research can be utilized as a value-added product to support a bio-circular economy that creates a healthy and sustainable environment. This certainly can be realized with the support of synergy between industry, government, and society. “So from the mangrove ecosystem, we can find answers for global challenges related to plastic waste pollution,” she concluded. (ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS)

Reporter: Hani Aqilah Safitri