Plastic-eating bacteria could combat pollution problems, scientists hope

msn ^

[algore]

Scientists discovered that bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source, a finding that researchers hope could be a promising answer to combat one of Earth’s major pollution problems.

In a study published Thursday in Environmental Science and Technology, scientists laid out their examination of Comamonas testosteroni, a bacteria that grows on polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, a plastic commonly found in single-use food packaging and water bottles. PET makes up about 12 percent of global solid waste and 90 million tons of the plastic produced each year.

“The machinery in environmental microbes is still a largely untapped potential for uncovering sustainable solutions we can exploit,” said Ludmilla Aristilde, senior author on the study and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University.

Unlike most other bacteria, which thrive on sugar, C. testosteroni has a more refined palate, including chemically complex materials from plants and plastics that take longer to decompose.

The researchers are the first to demonstrate not only that this bacteria can break down plastic, but they also illuminate exactly how they do it.

Through six meticulous steps, involving complex imaging and gene editing techniques, the authors found that the bacteria first physically break down plastic by chewing it into smaller pieces.

Then, they release enzymes — components of a cell that speed up chemical reactions — to chemically break down the plastic into a carbon-rich food source known as terephthalate.

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TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: plastic

[waterhill]

Plastics are made from oil.

There have been oil-eating microbes since creation.

[Bullish]

I think I’ve seen this movie... It turns into the man eating ‘Blob’.

[21twelve]

I wasn’t sure I got the right movie. I guess I did!

I was with a company where they were researching oil-consuming bacteria that exist near magma (or something like that - wasn’t my project). The idea was to somehow harvest them and use them in oil contaminated areas. There is probably a reason why they are rare and located in specific, limited areas.

It is like bringing in invasive animals or plants into a new area. “This Kudzu stuff grows like crazy. The cows will love it!”

[Harpotoo]

Hope?!?!

Sounds very scientific to me LOL:-)

[TXBlair]

Every face and chest in Hollywood is in a panic!

[Secret Agent Man]

Yeah I see no problems with this whatsoever...

/sarc

[xoxox]

we’ll find out.

[11th_VA]

What could possibly go wrong

[metmom]

And the possibilities of how this could backfire are legion.