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Scientists accidentally create mutant enzyme that eats plastic bottles
The Blaze ^ | May 14, 2018 | Digital Shorts

Posted on 05/15/2018 11:00:57 AM PDT by TBP

One million plastic water bottles are sold every minute. Only 14 percent are recycled. The rest end up in landfill or in the ocean, taking years to decompose. Scientists have been working on an enzyme that can destroy all these bottles — and now they have succeeded by accident.

UK and US scientists discovered an enzyme in the soil of a plastic landfill. While researching the enzyme, they accidentally caused it to mutate and created an enzyme that can break down plastic much faster than landfills. Currently, plastic bottles can only be recycled into carpets or clothing but this new enzyme breaks down clear plastic bottles so that they can be remade into new bottles. This could eliminate the need to produce new plastic bottles.

Right now, it takes several days for the enzyme to start breaking down the plastic. But scientists believe they can speed up the process, now that they know the enzyme can be manipulated. In the future, the enzyme might be able to break down other types of plastics.

The process is far from perfect and may take years to perfect, but it brings the planet closer to reducing the sea of plastic waste.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: enzymes; plasticbottles; scientists
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To: ConservativeWarrior

They thought they knew so much.


21 posted on 05/15/2018 11:58:26 AM PDT by Delta 21 (Build The Wall !! Jail The Cankle !!)
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To: donna
"The Andromeda Strain (1971)"

First thing I thought of when I saw the headline.
Read it when it first came out and again a few years ago.

22 posted on 05/15/2018 12:02:53 PM PDT by Psalm 73 ("I will now proceed to entangle the entire area".)
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To: donna
The Andromeda Strain (1971)

"Capt. Morton: [code phrase] There's a fire, sir."

Oh oh.

23 posted on 05/15/2018 12:12:02 PM PDT by Oatka (tHE)
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To: TBP

So they’re going to drop plastic bag taxes now right?


24 posted on 05/15/2018 12:34:38 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: IronJack

That was the first movie I saw that actually followed the storyline of the book.


25 posted on 05/15/2018 12:36:29 PM PDT by Renegade
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To: TBP

26 posted on 05/15/2018 12:48:08 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation has ended!)
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To: donna

That’s exactly what i was thinking.

What with all the plastic in our lives and so many things that depend on it, I could see this easily backfiring.


27 posted on 05/15/2018 1:15:43 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: TBP

end of the world as we know it if this thing actually works and escapes control ...


28 posted on 05/15/2018 1:27:30 PM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
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To: headstamp 2

Metal, wood, bakelite, ivory, tin, porcelain...


29 posted on 05/15/2018 1:30:52 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: metmom

Great Si-Fy!! But this is an enzyme not a bacteria, so would only work where applied by humans.


30 posted on 05/15/2018 1:40:15 PM PDT by Drago
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To: Drago

For now........


31 posted on 05/15/2018 1:41:00 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: TBP
News from the future: "particles left behind by plastic eating enzyme making everybody sterile".

Or something like that.

32 posted on 05/15/2018 1:43:40 PM PDT by pepsi_junkie (Russians couldnt have done a better job destroying sacred American institutions than Democrats have)
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To: TBP

Journalists are unfamiliar with the conservation of mass.

The follow up question was, “Break it down into what, exactly?”

I’m sure the average ready has got ‘Pac Man’ in their head.


33 posted on 05/15/2018 1:47:20 PM PDT by RinaseaofDs
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To: TBP

It appears one has already been mad to degrade plastic. The dash boards of my last Dodge trucks are falling into pieces.


34 posted on 05/15/2018 1:50:31 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: donna

Thanks - I was trying to remember what classic movie that was from.


35 posted on 05/15/2018 2:00:42 PM PDT by 21twelve
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To: headstamp 2

and 100 octane gas at the pump for .89 a gallon.


36 posted on 05/15/2018 4:58:04 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true, I have no proof, but they're true)
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To: TBP

Earth First! would weaponize it.


37 posted on 05/15/2018 9:26:56 PM PDT by Ozark Tom
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