2 ms·
Ok, then this is about enzymes which do not yet exist in the organism. You could then modify bacteria so they produce this enzyme and feed on plastic, I see.
by Rochus 6y ago
Ok, then this is about enzymes which do not yet exist in the organism. You could then modify bacteria so they produce this enzyme and feed on plastic, I see.
- flobosg 6y agoPlastic degradation is a thing already in naturally occurring bacteria that evolved a PETase: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1196/tab-figures-data https://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1196/tab-fig...
- Rochus 6y agoBut producing fuel as the fellow suggested would then be another function to be added to the bacterium; and maybe it should work on different kinds of plastic.
- flobosg 6y agoOf course, that's why I focused on degradation. There's plenty of room for improvement. For instance, PETase is not very efficient actually, and many research groups are working on its engineering.