Science

13192 readers

9 users here now

Subscribe to see new publications and popular science coverage of current research on your homepage

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

285

We are just getting started’: the plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

63 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When a microbe was found munching on a plastic bottle in a rubbish dump, it promised a recycling revolution. Now scientists are attempting to turbocharge those powers in a bid to solve our waste crisis. But will it work?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

PET is one of the most worrying plastics because it's soft and sheds microplastic easily.

Also, microorganisms are fairly easy to adapt to other food sources because of how rapidly they evolve. Coupled with genetic modification I don't think it's impossible for this to be adapted to all forms of soft plastic.

And while this is good. It is also going to cause problems when bacteria starts eating plastic we don't want it too.