The input of anthropogenic chemicals into environmental systems is a major concern. For example, the presence of antibiotics in wastewater and wastewater-receiving environments contributes to the propagation of antibiotic resistance and impairs services provided by environmental microbiomes. One approach to mitigate the input of chemicals into the environment is the development of alternative chemicals that are rapidly biodegraded at their point of entry into the environment. In this project, we explore the activity, specificity, identity of enzymes (with a focus on extracellular peptidases) in wastewater systems to inform the design of environmentally benign chemicals.

This project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.