The microbial communities responsible for the degradation of poly(lactic acid)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PLA/PHB) blend foils were investigated in 1 year long laboratory soil burial experiments. Different PLA/PHB foils were tested: (a) PLA/PHB original transparent foil, (b) PLA/PHB carbon black filled foil and (c) PLA/PHB black foil previously exposed for 90 days to sun light. The microbiome diversity of these three types of foil was compared with that identified from soil/perlite sample at the beginning of experiment and that developed on a cellulose mat. Culture-dependent and culture-independent (DGGE-cloning) approaches together with PLA, PHB and PLA/PHB degradation plate assays were employed. The cultivation strategy combined with degradation tests permitted the isolation and evaluation of several PLA/PHB blend degrading microorganisms such as members of the genera Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Streptomyces, Rhodococcus, Saccharothrix, Arthrobacter, Aureobasidium, Mortierella, Absidia, Actinomucor, Bjerkandera, Fusarium, Trichoderma and Penicillium. The DGGE-cloning investigation increased the information about the microbial communities occurring during bioplastic degradation detecting several bacterial and fungal taxa and some of them (members of the orders Anaerolineales, Selenomonadales, Thelephorales and of the genera Pseudogymnoascus and Pseudeurotium) were revealed here for the first time. This survey showed the microbiome colonizing PLA/PHB blend foils and permitted the isolation of several microorganisms able to degrade the tested polymeric blends.
Keywords: Bacteria; Fungi; Microbiome; Poly(lactic acid)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) blend; Polymer degradation plate assays.