Most of the synthetic plastics, including PET, are chemically inert. Nevertheless, several enzymes and microbes have been identified to break down PET into its corresponding monomers . Among those enzymes, PETase, carboxylesterase, polyester hydrolase, lipase, and cutinase are known for the degradation of PET at ambient temperature and benign pH . Microbial degradation is slow, but biological methods may ultimately provide a sustainable solution to degrade plastic waste . Recently, the bacterium I. sakaiensis has been identified to degrade and assimilate PET as its sole carbon and energy source under aerobic conditions . The bacterium initially adheres on the surface of PET and produces the intermediate mono(2-hydroxyethyl)-terephthalic acid (MHET) by secreting extracellular PETase hydrolases. The MHET is then transported into the periplasm through an outer membrane protein such as porin. MHETase, an intracellular lipoprotein, then hydrolyzes the MHET to TPA and EG. I. sakaiensis metabolizes the hydrolyzed products to yield ATP by oxidative phosphorylation via the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, but only releases the greenhouse gas CO2 and H2O .