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Eco-friendly "living plastic" contains the seeds of its own destruction
When the going gets tough for certain bacteria, they form into spores that can withstand the harshest of environments. Scientists have now utilized that fact to produce "living plastic" that biodegrades – but only under specific conditions.
They are able to remain in an inactive state for years or even centuries at a time, becoming active again only when triggered by the right environmental cues. Led by Prof. Zhuojun Dai, the researchers created a form of Bacillus subtilis bacteria that was genetically engineered to secrete a plastic-degrading enzyme known as lipase BC. The reanimated bacteria proceeded to start secreting lipase BC again, completely degrading the plastic within six to seven days.
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