A group of synthetic bacteria that can efficiently turn plastic waste into useful chemicals is presented in Nature Communications. These bacteria could help to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution and produce valuable chemicals and products—used in adhesives, insulators, and to make nylon, for example.
. These bacteria could help to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution and produce valuable chemicals and products—used in adhesives, insulators, and to make nylon, for example.
Plastic pollution is an escalating global crisis, with far-reaching adverse effects on the environment, wildlife, and. One proposed solution is upcycling plastics into products using engineered microorganisms, but this is highly complex and has been challenging. Ting Lu, James Collins and colleagues designed two genetically engineered strains of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida to upcycle one of the most common plastics, polyethylene terephthalate. Each strain processed the breakdown of one of the two products produced by chemical plastic breakdown—terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.
By forming a consortium, these strains were found to achieve a greater efficiency compared to using only a single strain that processed both products. Thefurther upcycled the plastic by converting it into the biodegradable polymer PHA and muconate, which can be used to synthesize polyurethane and adipic acid. Polyurethane is used in insulators, foams, coatings, adhesives, and adipic acid is used to make nylon.
The findings suggest that engineering microbial communities may be a promising and effective platform to facilitate polymer upcycling and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the underlying concept and strategies are potentially applicable to the treatment of other types of plastics, the authors suggest.Nature Communications
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.
Genetically engineering associations between plants and diazotrophs could lessen dependence on synthetic fertilizerNitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture is not sustainable.
Read more »
Genetically modified mosquitoes and vaccines -- what you need to know about dengue feverMore than 3 million cases of dengue fever have been reported in the Americas this year with over 882 in the United States, according to the CDC.
Read more »
Volvo's Chief Communications Officer Is the Poster Woman for Sleek Scandinavian StyleGreat basics are the MVP for Olivia Ross Wilson's work aesthetic.
Read more »
Investors with $24tr push companies to curb nature impactInvestors overseeing $23.6-trillion of funds have kick-started a campaign to pressure 100 companies to ramp up the fight against biodiversity loss. The targeted companies include BHP Group, Alibaba Group, Nestle, Bayer, Amazon.com and Unilever
Read more »
Greenwashing a threat to a 'nature positive' worldResearchers have identified the threat greenwashing poses to a 'nature positive' world, one where environmental decline halts and biodiversity outcomes improve.
Read more »
In writing 'Idlewild,' author James Frankie Thomas discovered his own trans natureThe novel centers around the friendship of two teens in a Quaker high school in the early 2000s.
Read more »