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It breaks them down into their atomic components and enables bacteria that can straight up digest plastic. The issue from this is that we rely on plastics not b
by Kerb_ 3y ago
It breaks them down into their atomic components and enables bacteria that can straight up digest plastic. The issue from this is that we rely on plastics not being degradable for a lot of the properties we use it for. Imagine if bugs got this enzyme in their gut bacteria, and started eating the food wrappers instead of just nibbling through them. Plastic used to seal sterile equipment in medical settings or for implants? Useless. The plastic waste would only last a few years relative to the decades+ now, but it would also ruin plastic's ability to seal stuff, which is why we use it.
Overall, probably a good thing to reduce our reliance on plastic, but it will come at a cost, it's not just "we can dump plastic in the ocean now"
- coffeebeqn 3y agoIt would still be difficult for bugs to gnaw on solid plastic
- Kerb_ 3y agoIt's difficult for bugs to gnaw on solid wood, too. Termites still cause billions in damages a year.
- Tagbert 3y agoAnd they took millions of years to evolve and depend on microbes living in their gut to digest the wood. They have to keep those microbes in a protected environment to allow them do do the digestion. They aren’t just digesting wood out in the open.
- Kerb_ 3y agoI can follow these goalposts. They're already in gut microbiomes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29763555/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29763555/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32374590/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32374590/