Common bacteria could turn plastic waste into painkillers, study finds
How E.coli could be used to make paracetamol
- Scientists have discovered that a strain of common faecal bacteria, E.coli, can convert plastic waste into the drug paracetamol.
- This finding could lead to innovative new recycling methods for plastic, addressing concerns about microplastics and their health impacts.
- The process involves E.coli's metabolic chemicals, specifically a chemical reaction called Lossen rearrangement, which can remediate polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic.
- Researchers successfully produced paracetamol from plastic-derived molecules using E.coli with a 92 per cent yield, marking the first time this has been achieved from a waste product.
- This technique offers a potential general strategy for upcycling plastic waste and could pave the way for manufacturing other useful nitrogen-containing organic chemicals.