Science Daily·3 min read·medium
New “living plastic” self-destructs in just 6 days without leaving microplastics
✦AI Summary
Researchers have developed a new type of 'living plastic' embedded with dormant bacterial spores that can fully decompose the material in six days. By engineering these microbes to produce specific enzymes, the plastic can break itself down into individual building blocks without leaving microplastics behind.
Many plastic items are used for only a few minutes or hours, but the material can remain in the environment for decades or even centuries. Researchers are now exploring a different approach: plastics designed to break themselves down when activated.
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