Scientists accidentally create mutant enzyme that eats plastic bottles

The Guardian ^

[Brooklyn Attitude]

“Picture this bug on the loose.”

Its already on the loose, the enzyme was isolated from a naturally occurring strain in the environment. The modified enzyme is only marginally more effective.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I read a book with a plot along these lines called Pandora's Genes.

Needless to say, it did not have a happy ending.

[Retvet]

Just think about this our environment will be saved. Nature developed a way to break down here for eternity plastic.

[petro45acp]

Not really a problem. They simply replaced, for day to day, their all steel and or wood-stocked predecessors.

Gomer....nice pull. Bit of arcane palaver... not quite to that stage yet...still walking talking and chewing gum with no difficulty.

Gonna be odd trying to ride around in vehicles with no plastics...

KYPD

[Buckeye McFrog]

The unintended consequence will be Pepsi and milk bottles springing spontaneous leaks and making messes at the supermarket.

[Vaduz]

Fake butter is one element from being plastic wonder if the enzyme will eat it?.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

LOL. I had a ‘66 Pontiac like that, except it was one giant crack from windshield to the front edge.

Speaking of melting, I also have experience from about 10 years earlier leaving a box full of Crayola crayons on the rear shelf above the rear seat in full summer son. Talk about MELTING. Dad didn’t appreciate the colorful puddle on his fairly new car. At least he didn’t take me to the wood shed, but I know he was steamed.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Yep. Unless you want to add that enzyme to your clothes washer detergent.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

My next door neighbor’s career is designing novel drug delivery mechanisms. Can I offer him your suggestion?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

So it eats trees and plants?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I think the bacteria needs a certain environment to thrive that wouldn’t be encountered in normal every day life.

You obviously haven't seen my closets, my kitchen, my garage, and my tool storage shed.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Ah! The silver lining in every dark cloud.

[Svartalfiar]

[Boogieman]

Picture instead that the bug adapts to becoming one of our intestinal microbes. You won’t even need to take the plastic wrapper off that microwave burrito, just eat the whole thing and let the bacteria worry about it!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Unintended consequences comes to mind.

Indeed. Such as...enzymes eat plastic...and secrete, what?
Or...enzyme breaks down plastic. What sort of material is the by-product of this process? Toxic? Pollutant? Useful?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Cool!! The human body contains trillions of microorganisms — outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1! Because of their small size, however, microorganisms make up only about 1 to 3 percent of the body's mass. In a 200-pound adult, that's 2 to 6 pounds of bacteria.

A few more microorganisms to digest that burrito wrapper won't even be noticed.

[JoeFromSidney]

Several years ago I read a science fiction novel about a mutated plastic-eating bacterium. Great, until it got loose and started destroying everything made of plastic. I can't recall th title now. Great cautionary tale, though.

[Amberdawn]

And God forbid it makes it’s way into a hospital.