Science…

Lol. Like the infamous SETI intelligent signal from space incident. That time it was Frank microwaving his dinner.

Originally they thought it was because Frank spilt his coffee, but that only ruined a keyboard.

He was observing waves in his coffee cup at the time…

He was observing waves in his coffee cup at the time...

Is that a reference or a happy coincidence?

Pure fiction

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Newly discovered plastic-eating bacterium can break down PET
ABC Science by Rachel Sullivan
Updated about an hour ago

A used plastic water bottle floats on a calm ocean as the sun sets in the background
PHOTO: Only a small percentage of PET plastics are recycled creating a significant environmental problem. (Getty Images)
MAP: Japan
A newly discovered plastic-eating bacterium may hold the key to safely degrading millions of tonnes of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics dumped each year.

Key points:

PET plastic is a global pollution problem
Scientists have discovered a new species of bacteria that produces a plastic-eating enzyme
When microbes were applied to PET film it broke down completely after six weeks
More than 45 million tonnes of PET plastics are produced annually. While a small percentage is recycled worldwide, much of it ends up in landfill or waterways, creating significant environmental problems.

Scientists have long searched for a biological agent that could effectively degrade PET’s tough crystalline structure.

To date, they had only found a few species of fungi that could partially break down the plastic.

But a team of Japanese researchers, led by Dr Shosuke Yoshida from the Kyoto Institute of Technology, have discovered a new species of bacteria that produces a never-before-seen plastic-eating enzyme.

PET completely degraded after six weeks

Bird on Australian beach polluted with plastic
PHOTO: A red-footed Booby on a polluted beach in Australia. Most plastics end up in landfills or waterways. (CSIRO: Dr Denise Hardesty; file photo)
The researchers collected 250 debris samples — including soil and other sediments, wastewater and sludge — from a PET recycling plant and screened the microbial communities present in the samples to determine whether they played any role in the breakdown process.

“One sediment sample contained a distinct microbial consortium,” Dr Kenji Miyamoto from Keio University, who was part of the study published today in Science, said.

“The consortium contained a mixture of bacteria, yeast-like cells, and protozoa.”

When they applied the microbes to a thin PET film, prominent pits formed on the film surface as it was consumed. It completely degraded after six weeks.

“We then successfully isolated a bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, from the group and found that this strain produces two enzymes,” researchers said.

Further analysis showed the two enzymes — PETase and MHETase — could break down both PET and another compound called MHET — (mono 92-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid — which forms during the breakdown process.

The environmentally benign breakdown products, ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid, are then used by the bacteria as an energy source.

New enzymes may have evolved through swapping genes

Landfill
PHOTO: Despite promising results, scientists say solving PET pollution will not be as easy as releasing the new bacteria into a landfill. (Flickr: WDNR; file photo)
Human-manufactured PET has only been around for around 70 years, suggesting that this trait has evolved only relatively recently.

The researchers searched genomic databases to determine whether any other organisms shared the genes responsible for the enzymes that metabolise PET.

While they did not find any other species with the complete set of genes coding for PET metabolisation, they did find 92 micro-organisms that were able to code for MHETase, with 32 of those also able to code for other enzymes used in the PET metabolisation process.

“Mutations in an [enzyme that breaks down chemical bonds] such as PET hydrolytic cutinase, may have resulted in enhanced selectivity for PET,” Dr Miyamoto said.

“It is unclear whether any other similar microorganisms exist,” Dr Miyamoto said.

The researchers say the volume of PET at the sample site, as well as the culturing of the microbial group during the experimental procedure, might have helped select for a bacterium that had obtained the necessary genes by swapping genes with other bacteria.

While the new discovery holds exciting possibilities for the harmless breakdown of environmentally-damaging plastics, Dr Miyamoto said that it was not as simple as unleashing armies of PET-metabolising bacteria into landfills to break down waste plastic.

“Because of its crystal structure, the rate of degradation is very slow. However, after heat-treatment at 260 degrees, the crystal structure breaks down, allowing these micro-organisms to easily decompose the plastic,” he said.

And what happens if that plastic-eating bacterium turns into Godzilla, or something else damaging, like the cane toad.

Nature has ways of compensating.

I think the bacterium IS natures way of compensating, … for the stupidity, greed, & laziness of the idiot species trying to fark it in the ■■■■■ sans lube.

And what happens if that plastic-eating bacterium turns into Godzilla, or something else damaging, like the cane toad.

Nature has ways of compensating.

And what happens if that plastic-eating bacterium turns into Godzilla, or something else damaging, like the cane toad.

Nature has ways of compensating.

Good point, let’s just leave it as it is

Anyone keeping an eye on Juno?

Waiting on pics.

We are also at aphelion (furthest point in our orbit from the sun) today.

#UselessFact.

We are also at aphelion (furthest point in our orbit from the sun) today.

#UselessFact.

To tell you the truth can’t blloody tell…it’s still damn hot here in the UAE. End of Ramadan too.

Waiting on pics.

Next month apparently. There is a video of 200 days approaching jupiter or something.

I will always remember the difference between aphelion and perihelion. Who wouldn’t want to be close to this? #learntEverythingFromDoctorWho

(She has a lovely personality, too.)

Think I saw that episode when i was about 12. Jaw hit the floor.

NEE NED ZB 6TNN DEIBEDH SIEFI EBEEE SSIEI ESEE SEEE