The impact humans have on the environment has been underscored by a study that found bugs are eating plastic.
The study found that a growing number of microbes carry a plastic-degrading enzyme. These bugs could be the key to creating a way to break down specific plastic.
Multiple lines of evidence show that the global microbiome has a plastic-degrading potential that is related to the amount of plastic pollution in the environment.
Deep pollution.
Researchers took ocean samples at 67 different locations. The team found higher levels of plastic-degrading enzymes in the deeper depths.
The scientists discovered that almost 60 percent of the enzymes were previously undiscovered, and could break down plastic in a way they haven't seen before. The team hopes that they can build on that finding to create more efficient ways to break down more resilient types of plastic.
Zelezniak told the newspaper that the next step would be to test the most promising candidates in the lab to investigate their properties and the rate of plastic degradation. You could engineer communities with degrading functions for certain types of material.
It is a bit of a double-edged sword. It is exciting to see a solution for plastic in the environment, but it is also bleak that the microbes only evolved due to how much we have polluted the planet.
The study found that bugs across the globe are eating plastic.
The US is filling the oceans with disgusting amounts of plastic.
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