Created an enzyme that devours plastic in hours

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In addition to air pollution, perhaps the biggest pollution problem is the billions of tons of plastic that fill our planet, especially the oceans.

Plastic is a cheap and easily produced material that has become ubiquitous in our lives, because it is extremely comfortable especially for packaging but, once used, it is very difficult to get rid of.

According to experts, it can take up to 450 years for plastic to start breaking down at the molecular level under normal conditions, and this is too long.

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Four years ago, a Japanese scientific team discovered a bacterium capable of breaking down the molecule of "polyethylene terephthalate" (PET), a variety of plastic widely used for packaging.

Based on this experiment, another team of scientists have modified an enzyme produced by the bacteria, which is even more effective at degrading plastic than the bacteria that originate it.

The recycled plastic by conventional thermomechanical processing has poor quality to make new packaging, it can only be used to make footwear and carpets.

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This enzyme reduces plastics to a high-quality substance that can later be used in the manufacture of other containers, thereby closing the loop.

Carbios, which is the company that has discovered it, has partnered with large companies such as Pepsi or L’Oréal to invest in the project and accelerate manufacturing and distribution.

More information
https://mundo.sputniknews.com/ciencia/202004091091056189-crean-una-enzima-bacteriana-que-devora-el-plastico-en-horas/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/actualidad/crean-enzima-mutante-que-se-come-plastico_12616

Versión en español