Plastic Eating Bacteria

Ideonella sakaiensis is a bacterium that can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of plastic commonly used in water bottles and food packaging. Scientists believe that this bacteria has evolved to use plastic as a food source. Here are some things to know about Ideonella sakaiensis:

Discovery

In 2016, Japanese researchers discovered Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 in a sediment sample from a plastic bottle recycling plant in Sakai City, Japan.

How it works

Ideonella sakaiensis breaks down the plastic by breaking the ring structure into a linear structure, and then degrading it into shorter fragments. It uses these broken-down products to make amino acids and DNA, which help it grow.

Potential

The discovery of Ideonella sakaiensis and other plastic-eating bacteria could help mitigate the global plastic crisis. However, some say that bacteria are not a miracle weapon and that waste prevention is more efficient than attempts at restoration.

Mr. Shubham Raturi
Assistant Professor, Chemistry, PWCIT