New plastic-eating bacteria discovered

[Still Waters]

Nature has begun to fight back against the vast piles of filth dumped into its soils, rivers and oceans by evolving a plastic-eating bacteria - the first known to science.

In a report published in the journal Science, a team of Japanese researchers described a species of bacteria that can break the molecular bonds of one of the world's most-used plastics - polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET or polyester.

http://www.theguardi...llution-scourge

[SHaYap]

hmmmm what if these bacteria gets into the warehouses where the plastic goods that are yet to be sold are stored ?

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[quiXilver]

Nothing in nature is wasted. I've always thought that since plastic has a high amount of petroleum, eventually fungus would develop a taste for it and begin to utilize it.

Edited March 12, 2016 by quiXilver

[xYlvax]

This is great.. Maybe we can find a way to utilize it in all of the waste floating around in the oceans.

[quiXilver]

Some folks have also showed some forms of fungus to be quite fond of crude oil, such as comes in tanker and platform spills. Not sure why this doesn't seem to have been expanded and implemented wide scale...

[bubblykiss]

Finally science discovers the evolved version of Andromeda.

And to echo 3rd eye, it is a good thing that microbial life is 100% containable and will always do as humanity wants rather than being loyal to its own selfish genetic code.

[Wickian]

This is great.. Maybe we can find a way to utilize it in all of the waste floating around in the oceans.

I don't think we'll have any control over it. If there's an untapped food source it will eventually be exploited by microbes. Then, if it isn't toxic, animal life will start eating it once the microbes start living in their guts to allow digestion.

[SHaYap]

Worry about the Warhawks getting paranoia with new definitions of 'Biological' warfare with regards to plastic parts in modern weaponry ~

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[Black Red Devil]

Imagine the trail of destruction this bacteria would cause in Hollywood.

[Wickian]

Imagine the trail of destruction this bacteria would cause in Hollywood.

A new strain of flesh eating bacteria. Instead of picking it up in stagnant lakes you pick it up at "exclusive" parties.

[morphiouse1]

well the future is not looking good for all those fiber glass cars them? not to mention vinyl seats,floors and coats etc.

[Myles]

I wonder if this bacteria actually evolved to do this or was already capable.

[PersonFromPorlock]

I'm not too sure I like the idea of a bacterium that looks at my computer as lunch. This may not end well.

[Darkenpath25]

We are killing our environment nature has been taking care of us since the beginning of time . It doesnt surprise me one bit that nature found a way to break down plastic's . Look at all the vehicles , bridges and other things made of iron and metal that eventually revert back to its natural state .

[SHaYap]

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What's Eating Titanic?

On the ocean floor, Titanic is at the mercy of several processes.

For one thing, the once 883-foot-long (270-meter-long) ship is a sprawling feast for marine organisms. Mollusks have consumed much of Titanic's wood—leaving the metal hull to microscopic bacteria and fungi.

As the microbes eat away at Titanic, they form self-contained, icicle-like biological communities called rusticles. By 1996 there were some 650 tons (dry weight) of rusticles on the outside of Titanic's bow section alone (picture), according to estimates by microbiologist Roy Cullimore, a veteran Titanic explorer. Since then rusticles have continued to grow both inside and outside the wreck.

Rusticles may also infest the interior of the forward mast, which as a result may completely collapse in the next year or two, according to Cullimore, founder of Regina, Canada-based Droycon Bioconcepts, Inc., a biotechnology company.

• NatGeo link
  

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nom nom nommm

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[RedSquirrel]

Brings to mind the 'weapon' in Jackie Chan's 'Spy Next Door'.

[Sundew]

Bacteria spores can be found pretty much everywhere, however, bacteria themselves need a certain amount of favorable conditions to grow, so I wouldn't worry about everything made of plastic starting to disintegrate just yet. The organism that causes Botulism produces one of the most toxic substances known to man, a single drinking glass full of the toxin could pretty much wipe out most if not all of the human race, yet that organism is probably being consumed every time you eat a salad, as a dormant spore. This is an anaerobic bacteria that only grows and produces it's poison in the absence of oxygen, so most of the time it is quite harmless.

I would therefore expect the plastic eating bacteria to have a certain set of parameters in which it will grow and consume plastic, and as such, it could be developed for the waste treatment industry.

[SHaYap]

ahhhhh but bacteria evolves and gets better at doing things unexpected AND unthinkable ~

[wuhugm]

Biomeat is here