Some bacteria think plastic is an amazing food, and metabolize plastic, helping us to clean up plastic waste.
Microbiologist by taking waste and soil samples at a plastic recycling facility, found a plastic-eating species of bacteria.
Above, it is after noshing on plastic for 60 hours. Image credit Kohei Oda
Microbiologist Kohei Oda of the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan, said:
“I was very surprised to find microorganisms that degrade PET, because so far, it has been said that PET is a nonbiodegradable plastic.”
Biochemist Uwe Bornscheuer of the University of Greiswald in Germany, who wasn’t involved in this study, explains:
“Most plastics degrade extremely slowly, thus constituting a major environmental hazard, especially in the oceans, where microplastics are a matter of major concern. One potential solution for this problem is the synthesis of degradable plastics from renewable resources.”
via inhabitat
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