‘Pledge to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution’

The fight against plastic pollution has a new and unexpected inspiration: mussels.

Scientists at Rice University are borrowing from the molluscs’ adhesive power to develop a new tool for breaking down plastic Interesting technology explained.

So how does the extreme stickiness that mussels use to cling to rocks come into play?

The answer can be found in a highly adhesive natural amino acid called 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). Rice scientists incorporated DOPA into bacteria using genetic code expansion technology. Then they combined it with an enzyme called polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase that breaks down plastic.

The results were fascinating, with bacteria adhesion showing a staggering 400-fold increase Interesting technology. That led to what the researchers described as a “significant amount of degradation of the plastics overnight” in a press release.

The problem that the researchers want to tackle is enormous. According to the EPA, America generates about 40 million tons of plastic pollution every year. Plastic can take hundreds of years to disband, according to the Guardian, and that has a host of negative consequences.

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Plastic fills up methane-producing landfills that warm the planet. It can also break down into microplastics that are increasingly entering our food and water, which can have harmful health effects. This plastic pollution threatens animals and fishalso because it ends up in the ocean and damages ecosystems.

For the research, the scientists focused on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, in particular Interesting Technology reported. PET represents just under two-thirds of our plastic waste and is often found in packaging such as water bottles. The groundbreaking results join other promising efforts to find ways to break down PET more efficiently.

While this research could certainly help alleviate some of the problems of all the plastic that is already out there, another avenue for consumers is to investigate plastic-free alternatives. Reuse plastic and upcycling them in inventive ways offers another option.

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Speaking of inventive: Scientists have used another mollusk, the oyster, to make clothes. In the production of this so-called “Sea Wool” a mixture of used oyster shells and recycled plastic bottleswith surprisingly good results clothing companies like Long Wharf Supply Co., Wellen, Linksoul and Title Nine.

Drawing inspiration from nature for scientific innovations will be critical to solving the puzzle of decomposing the plastic that already exists. Rice’s team is confident that their research can have a huge impact with further exploration and implementation.

“Excitingly, our research shows promise for tackling the growing problem of plastic pollution in the US and around the world,” said study leader Han Xiao.

He added that “it has the potential to transform bioengineering applications and solve real-world problems.”

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