Scientists accidentally create mutant enzyme that eats plastic bottles The breakthrough, spurred by the discovery of plastic-eating bugs at a Japanese dump, could help solve the global plastic pollution crisis
From The Guardian
Scientists have created a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic drinks bottles – by accident. The breakthrough could help solve the global plastic pollution crisis by enabling for the first time the full recycling of bottles.Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/16/scientists-accidentally-create-mutant-enzyme-that-eats-plastic-bottlesThe 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 the University of Portsmouth, UK, who led the research. “It’s great and a real finding.”
The mutant enzyme takes a few days to start breaking down the plastic – far faster than the centuries it takes in the oceans. But the researchers are optimistic this can be speeded up even further and become a viable large-scale process.
“What we are hoping to do is use this enzyme to turn this plastic back into its original components, so we can literally recycle it back to plastic,” said McGeehan. “It means we won’t need to dig up any more oil and, fundamentally, it should reduce the amount of plastic in the environment.”
Because nothing is ever perfect I wonder what the ramifications of eating up all our plastic waste with this enzyme. Is it better to unleash this enzyme into the environment or should we be recycling this plastic since there is only a finite amount of it.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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It would probably be best to add the enzymes to existing landfills and contniue to recycle new plastic.
Utilizing a modified enzyme in an industrial process is one thing. But, releasing it into the environment for accelerated plastic breakdown might be opening another can of worms. Unintended consequences anyone?
I was thinking about this too, unintended conquences.
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Interesting development and possibly very useful but I also see dangers in this. It could be used as a weapon. Imagine flying around in your new F35 while it's being eaten by these new enzymes.
Amazing discovery! Hopefully you can put yourself at the service of the environment and clean up so much waste that man has scattered around the world! Thanks for sharing.
Since plastic are nearly not degradeable. So this advancement will surely go a long way in reducing plastic/rubber fibre pollution if not totally eradicate it.
Interesting, It's kind of scary that they can find something to eat through plastic (or develop it) but yet millions still die from cancer.
Recycle the plastic and put the money and effort into saving people's lives, so many people around the world suffer.
I had a conversation with another steemian not so long back about recycling plastic and one of the ideas was to make houses from it.
thanks for the share.
How long before someone weaponizes this tech? Imagine the chaos this enzyme could cause if introduced into plastic coated electrical wiring...
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sparkling discovery.....just wow.