3 ms·
> What other grand predictions do you have for us about the future of microbe evolution? It took about 3 billion years for microbes to learn how to consume lig
by kibwen 3y ago
> What other grand predictions do you have for us about the future of microbe evolution?
It took about 3 billion years for microbes to learn how to consume lignin. They'll learn to process plastic eventually, but without human intervention it won't be within the span of human civilization.
- FredPret 3y agoNot a biologist, but the ability to digest plastic could be much easier to evolve at this point than digesting lignin was then. I read they’ve found microbes eating plastic already. [0] We’re also working on helping their evolution along. [1] [0] https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/plastic-eating-microbes-from-one-of-the-coldest-regions-on-earth-could-be-the-key-to-the-planets-waste-problem/ https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/plastic-eating-microbes-fro... [1] https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2023/november/plastic-eating-bacteria-turn-waste-into-useful-starting-materials-for-other-products.html https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2023/november/plasti...