A plastic container thrown into landfill can take hundreds of years to break down naturally, but a newly discovered enzyme could eat up the waste in less than a day.
Even when a plastic product is sent to a recycling plant, the process to melt it down and create something new is energy intensive and expensive.
Biological recycling, on the other hand, could help to create a cheap and efficient circular plastic economy. Over the past few years, scientists have beenPHL7 stands out from other candidates found so far. The way it rapidly breaks down PET seems to hinge on a single building block in its DNA. At a certain spot in its amino acid sequence, PHL7 carries a leucine where other enzymes carry phenylalanine residue. In the past, leucine in this position has been linked to the binding of polymers to enzymes.When researchers in Germany replaced phenylalanine with leucine in another enzyme, the organism became much faster at breaking down plastic. In fact, its efficiency was on par with PHL7.
Given the dire state of plastic pollution worldwide, that sounds like a dream. The team of researchers at Leipzig University are now working on a prototype.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Garland gives green light for new compost siteTurn Compost to turn nearly 30,000 square feet into composting site in Garland.
Read more »
New problem found at Millennium Tower, now tilting over 25 inchesThe blighted tower fix may have hit another wall, literally.
Read more »
New York teen found dead after visiting Myrtle Beach 13 years ago; Sex offender chargedAuthorities in South Carolina say they've found the body of a 17-year-old girl from New York who disappeared while visiting Myrtle Beach on spring break 13 years ago.
Read more »
Metro faces new safety order on first day under new leadershipThe transit agency’s top two leaders departed Sunday after a training lapse involving about half of its train operators.
Read more »
New York donors give $1M to 3 Tulsa Race Massacre survivors - New York Amsterdam NewsThe three known living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre are receiving a $1 million donation from a New York philanthropic organization.
Read more »