this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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Environment
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The thing is, if they're finding the relevant microbes to start this research with already eating plastic, then there are already naturally occurring plastic eating bacteria in the environment. Beyond that though, bacteria aren't going to be able to degrade stuff to the same degree under every condition. Consider that wood is biodegradable, but we can build wooden structures and wooden objects that last for generations.
Exactly. The plastic we want them to eat is already degraded to some degree by the elements or usage, and is thus the low-hanging fruit. I'd assume it's much easier to digest, since it's partially broken down already and has plenty of convenient micro-fissures to exploit.