Developing forms of plastic that don't take centuries to break down after use is a common objective among eco-conscious material scientists, and latel

Bacteria converts degraded plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring

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2021-06-21 05:00:03

Developing forms of plastic that don't take centuries to break down after use is a common objective among eco-conscious material scientists, and lately we're seeing how bacteria might offer a helping hand. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have taken this idea one step further, by demonstrating how an engineered form of E. coli bacteria can be used to turn plastic bottles into vanillin, the primary compound of vanilla flavoring.

Discoveries in recent years have demonstrated how bacteria might help us tackle the monumental problem of plastic waste. These have included the unearthing of enzymes produced by bacteria that lurk around recycling centers in Japan and feed on the material as an energy source, and the use of bacterial biofilms that can trap difficult-to-trace microplastic particles. Lately, we've also seen how embedding enzymes in plastic during production can enable the material to break down in days, or even keep itself clean.

The new research from University of Edinburgh scientists is pioneering in that it doesn't just seek to quickly break down single-use plastics, but use bacteria to turn it into something useful. The team focused on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic typically used for packaging of everything from food, to shampoos to soda bottles, and generates around 50 million tonnes of waste each year.