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Wastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food
October 03, 2024

A new study finds that a common bacterium can break down plastic for food, opening new possibilities for bacteria-based engineering solutions to help clean up plastic waste. Illustration credit Ludmilla Aristilde/Northwestern University
Finding could lead to bioengineering solutions to clean up plastic waste
Researchers have long observed that a common family of environmental bacteria, Comamonadacae, grow on plastics littered throughout urban rivers and wastewater systems. But what, exactly, these bacteria are doing has remained a mystery.
Now, Northwestern-led researchers have discovered how cells of a Comamonas bacterium are breaking down plastic for food. First, they chew the plastic into small pieces, called nanoplastics. Then, they secrete a specialized enzyme that breaks down the plastic even further. Finally, the bacteria use a ring of carbon atoms from the plastic as a food source, the researchers found.
Read the full story at Northwestern Now.