In a rare display of not-horrible news, scientists have discovered bacteria have now expanded their list of delicacies to include plastics. Sandro, James, and Karan discuss how these bacteria do it and the implications these findings have on humanity's broader plastic waste issue. Spoiler alert - we're (probably) not saved.
Works Cited:
Zrimec, J., et.al. (2021). Plastic-Degrading Potential across the Global Microbiome Correlates with Recent Pollution Trends. American Society for Microbiology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02155-21
Kaushal, J., et.al. (2021). Recent Insight into Enzymatic Degradation of Plastics Prevalent in the Environment: A Mini-Review. Cleaner Engineering and Technology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2021.100083
Rader, D. (2018). Are Plastic-Eating Bacteria the Solution to Ocean Pollution? It's Not that Simple, Science Shows. Environmental Defense Fund. https://www.edf.org/blog/2018/07/13/are-plastic-eating-bacteria-solution-ocean-pollution-its-not-simple-science-shows
Original music written and performed by Karan Shetty.
