microorganisms Article Comparative Genomics of Marine Bacteria from a Historically Defined Plastic Biodegradation Consortium with the Capacity to Biodegrade Polyhydroxyalkanoates Fons A. de Vogel 1,2 , Cathleen Schlundt 3,†, Robert E. Stote 4, Jo Ann Ratto 4 and Linda A. Amaral-Zettler 1,3,5,* 1 Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, The Netherlands;
[email protected] 2 Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands 3 Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA;
[email protected] 4 U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, 10 General Greene Avenue, Natick, MA 01760, USA;
[email protected] (R.E.S.);
[email protected] (J.A.R.) 5 Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +31-(0)222-369-482 † Current address: GEOMAR, Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany. Abstract: Biodegradable and compostable plastics are getting more attention as the environmen- tal impacts of fossil-fuel-based plastics are revealed. Microbes can consume these plastics and biodegrade them within weeks to months under the proper conditions. The biobased polyhydrox- Citation: de Vogel, F.A.; Schlundt, C.; yalkanoate (PHA) polymer family is an attractive alternative due to its physicochemical properties Stote, R.E.; Ratto, J.A.; Amaral-Zettler, and biodegradability in soil, aquatic, and composting environments.