Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic, study finds

[buh buh biden]

Microbes in oceans and soils across the globe are evolving to eat plastic,
according to a study.

The research scanned more than 200m genes found in DNA samples taken from
the environment and found 30,000 different enzymes that could degrade 10
different types of plastic.

The study is the first large-scale global assessment of the plastic-
degrading potential of bacteria and found that one in four of the
organisms analysed carried a suitable enzyme. The researchers found that
the number and type of enzymes they discovered matched the amount and type
of plastic pollution in different locations.

The results “provide evidence of a measurable effect of plastic pollution
on the global microbial ecology”, the scientists said.

Millions of tonnes of plastic are dumped in the environment every year,
and the pollution now pervades the planet, from the summit of Mount
Everest to the deepest oceans. Reducing the amount of plastic used is
vital, as is the proper collection and treatment of waste.

But many plastics are currently hard to degrade and recycle. Using enzymes
to rapidly break down plastics into their building blocks would enable new
products to be made from old ones, cutting the need for virgin plastic
production. The new research provides many new enzymes to be investigated
and adapted for industrial use.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/14/bugs-across-globe-are-
evolving-to-eat-plastic-study-finds