Plastic bottles are currently the second most common type of plastic pollution. This has caused the material to terribly adversely affect wildlife as well as spread massive pollution.
In an effort to combat this problem, scientists have developed a mutant enzyme that can break down polyethylene terephthalate found in plastic bottles into vanilla - the basic ingredient in vanilla flavor and vanilla essence.
Vanillin is a well-known chemical, which is part of a growing market; not only is it a flavoring required, but it has wider pharmaceutical and herbicidal uses.
As a result, the demand for vanilla was more than 37,000 tons in 2018, and 85% of it is currently being synthesized from fossil fuels. The ability to use recycled bottles as part of its development can greatly reduce plastic pollution.
Joanna Sadler, from the University of Edinburgh, explains the importance of development:
"This is the first example of using a biological system to raise plastic waste into a valuable industrial chemical and has very exciting consequences for the economy. The results from our research have major implications for the field of plastic durability and demonstrate the power of synthetic biology. to address the challenges of the real world. "
Dr. Stephen Wallace, also of the University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, noted the importance of the discovery:
"Puna jonë sfidon perceptimin se plastika është një mbetje problematike dhe në vend të kësaj demonstron përdorimin e saj si një burim i ri karboni nga i cili mund të merren produkte me vlerë të lartë. Duke pasur parasysh që plastikat ‘humbin 95% të vlerës së tyre materiale’ pas një përdorimi të vetëm, aftësia për të shndërruar 79% të produktit në diçka me vlerë mund të jetë domethënëse në përpjekjet e riciklimit"
Hapi tjetër është zhvillimi i një metodologjie që mund t'i lejojë shkencëtarët të shpejtojnë këtë ndarje të kimikateve, në mënyrë që të mund të përdoret më gjerë.
Ellis Crawford, nga Royal Society of Chemistry, ka diskutuar ndikimin e rëndësishëm që mund të ketë ky zhvillim:
"This is a really interesting use of microbial science. Using microbes to turn plastic waste, which is harmful to the environment, into an important commodity is a beautiful demonstration of green chemistry."
Source: Unilad
