All Plastic degradation articles
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FeaturesWhat a waste: poop and plastic in the study of purple martin microbiomes
Sometimes questions on conservation in research can take multiple forms.
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NewsEnzyme-embedded PLA plastic can degrade in home-compost or methanization conditions.
A new enzyme-embedded material is proven to fully distintegrate and biodegrade at a much faster rate than the 26-week home-compost certification requirement and is shown to help produce more biomethane, another source of waste recovery.
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NewsResearchers use microbes to create biodegradable bioplastics from food waste
Researchers are developing biodegradable bioplastics from food waste to give those materials a new – and useful – life.
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NewsSea fungus breaks down ocean plastic that has basked in sun’s UV rays
A fungus living in the sea can break down the plastic polyethylene, provided it has first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. Researchers from, among others, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) published their results in the scientific journal Science of the Total Environment. They expect that many ...
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NewsStudy probes plastic particles and climate change as drivers for antimicrobial resistance
A research project targets plastic particles and climate change as driving factors for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment.
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NewsSwarms of miniature robots clean up microplastics and microbes simultaneously
A study describes swarms of microscale robots (microrobots) that captured bits of plastic and bacteria from water. Afterward, the bots were decontaminated and reused.
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NewsBiodegradable ‘living plastic’ houses bacterial spores that help it break down
Researchers have developed a biodegradable form of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), filled with bacterial spores that, when exposed to nutrients present in compost, germinate and break down the material at the end of its life cycle.
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: microplastics
Examining the issue of plastic pollution with a round-up of microbial advances from the last few years.
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NewsMicroplastics, algal blooms, seafood safety are public health concerns addressed by new US Oceans and Human Health Centers
The NIH and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are jointly funding four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health and renewing two centers as part of a marine-related health research program.
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NewsA microbial plastic factory for high-quality green plastic
Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture resistant and highly biodegradable even in sea water.
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NewsLifetime of ‘biodegradable’ straws in the ocean is 8-20 months, study finds
Researchers found that some commercial bioplastic or paper straws might disintegrate within eight to 20 months in coastal ocean systems and switching to foam makes a major difference.
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Long ReadsMethanotrophs: an emerging biotechnological workhorse in the bioproduction industry
Methane-consuming bacteria turn waste greenhouse gases into useful products. A win-win situation?
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NewsResearch reveals how Halopseudomonas devours polyester urethane
Researchers have shown how bacteria of the genus Halopseudomonas break down common plastic coatings made of polyester urethane, underlying the relevance of the newly isolated bacterium for the biodegradation of plastics.
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NewsThreats and resources found in colonies of bacteria and fungi on ocean plastic trash
Scientists have found both potential threats and promising resources in the thriving colonies of bacteria and fungi on plastic trash washed up on Singapore shores.
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![Pioneer Awards - Emmanuel Ladent, Carbios, and Jacques Playe, L'Oreal[88]](https://d3rmrttq0bsnxi.cloudfront.net/Pictures/100x67/7/4/8/4748_pioneerawardsemmanuelladentcarbiosandjacquesplayeloreal88_710603.jpg)
NewsCarbios and L’Oréal win Pioneer Award for world’s first enzymatically recycled cosmetic bottle
The Solar Impulse Foundation has recognised Carbios’ breakthrough innovation and its adoption in 2021 by L’Oréal with the world’s first fully enzymatically recycled plastic cosmetic bottle.
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NewsZooplankton in ocean and freshwater rapidly escalating the global threat of plastics
Rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking them down into even smaller, and potentially more dangerous, nanoplastics. Each rotifer can create between 348,000 and 366,000 per day.
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NewsMarine bacteria take a bite at plastic pollution
A bacterium found in the sea can degrade a plastic that otherwise resists microbial breakdown in marine environments.
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NewsVacuum cleaner-effect in fungi can hold nanoplastics at bay
Researchers have found that while nanoplastics reduce both bacterial and fungal growth, the fungus actually manages to ’clean up’ their surroundings, thereby easing the effect of the plastics.
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NewsGenetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater
Researchers have genetically engineered a marine microorganism to break down plastic in salt water - specifically, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in everything from water bottles to clothing.
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OpinionEmerging risks in public health: is plastic pollution something to worry about?
Could plastic waste act as a vector for pathogens and contribute to the spread of infectious diseases?
