3 ms·

‘super-enzymes’ that eat plastics could curb our waste problem

• meristohm 5y ago
  > Oda’s team took samples of sediment and wastewater that were contaminated with PET, and screened them for micro-organisms that could grow on the plastic. It found a new strain of bacterium, called Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6. This microbe could grow on pieces of PET. Not only that: Oda’s team reported that the bacterium could use PET as its main source of nutrients, degrading the PET in the process. Yes, please, and two other things: Reduction of our resource-use is more important, and I’m not concerned about plastics suddenly having a shorter duration; we humans have been using biodegradable materials for ages. For example wood under proper care can last quite a while.