Free Republic

The new research was spurred by the discovery in 2016 of the first bacterium that had naturally evolved to eat plastic, at a waste dump in Japan. Scientists have now revealed the detailed structure of the crucial enzyme produced by the bug. The international team then tweaked the enzyme to see how it had evolved, but tests showed they had inadvertently made the molecule even better at breaking down the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic used for soft drink bottles. “What actually turned out was we improved the enzyme, which was a bit of a shock,” said Prof John McGeehan, at...

LANCASTER - Two boys were arrested Friday night for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at a sheriff's patrol car. The incident occurred at 11:15 p.m. Friday night on 30th Street East near Avenue K, where a Lancaster Sheriff's deputy was driving his marked patrol car northbound on 30th Street East. "The deputy saw an object fly out in front of his car," stated a written report approved by Sgt. Cory Kennedy. The object, which landed about 10 feet in front of the deputy's car, turned out to be a plastic bottle full of lighter fluid with a rag stuffed in...