Combatting Waste: How Plastic-Eating Algae Can Pave The Way To a Sustainable Future

Agent of combat: the role of plastic eating algae in achieving a sustainable environment Tiny organisms like bacteria and fungi have brought us plenty of life-saving tools over the last century, including antibiotics, vaccines, and gene-editing technology but can they truly help us fight the adverse effects of plastic? This is what we will try to answer in this article. Pollution is a big problem our planet faces and the biggest item contributing to this pollution is Plastic. Plastic is something that we can’t consider living without. It is considered the greatest invention of the century yet it is the most dangerous as it is non biodegradable. The increased global demand for plastic materials has led to severe plastic waste pollution, particularly to the marine environment. This critical issue affects both sea life and human beings since microplastics can enter the food chain and cause several health impacts. The scientists have spent countless years creating something that would tackle this issue, from plastic recycling to various chemical treatments; all these have proven to be failures. In 2016, the answer to this difficulty knocked on the doors of some Japanese researchers that would rattle the science community. Behind the Osaka recycling plant a new sort of bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, was found to be capable of eating PET plastic thanks to its digestive enzymes hence, plastic can be reduced to its basic constituents in a rapid manner with their help. These scientists were led by Oda, a microbiologist, and he believes that whatever scientific problem one faces, microbes have probably already worked out a solution. “I say to people, watch this part of nature very carefully. It often has very good ideas,”. So far, scientists have pinpointed more than 400 species with the potential ability to weaken plastic’s chemical bonds. These species are often detected in water environments, landfills, and plastic refineries. But scientists are just getting started, according to Helge Niemann, a professor of biogeochemistry at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. “We have no clue how many microbes might be out there that can degrade plastic,” he says. Environmental microbiology is in its infancy and the further study of plastisphere, a term researchers coined in the last few years to describe the organisms taking up residence on plastics in the environment, is in progress. First the microorganism, Ideonella sakaiensis, attaches itself to plastic and changes its surface properties and starts the biodegradation process, then they produce enzymes that help in the degradation process, converting plastics into simpler compounds. After that, the bio-fragmentation process starts and plastic becomes fragile. In the assimilation process, where microbial filaments and water start to penetrate plastics, which results in the decomposition and utilisation of plastic by microorganisms. This discovery has become a driving force for different research institutions around the world to transfer the DNA that allows Ideonella sakaiensis to debase plastic into an ocean-based organism; algae. Since the algae does not ingest the plastic, its enzyme-producing gene must be modified to secrete the enzyme at a rate that will break down plastic efficiently. Using algae is a sustainable method for reducing plastic waste compared to traditional methods as it is a favourable and environmentally friendly solution to biologically degrade PET using algae via synthetic biology; it will also limit the usage of fossil fuels and minimise footprints of plastic waste management. At this stage, nothing can really be predicted as not many developments have been made. However, it’s unlikely that all kinds of plastic can be efficiently digested. In some cases, such as polyethylene, their chemical bonds will be too strong for the enzymes to overcome. It’s also expensive but the expenses may change as the technology progresses. Furthermore, there are the possible legal hurdles because of the risks of genetically modified plastic-eating bacteria escaping into the environment or something going terribly wrong. Therefore in a nutshell, there is a possibility we can pull reins on the spread of pollution and hope is what actually matters. The discovery of algae has come as a blessing to our world that is overburdened with plastic waste which has caused intense pollution in the air and water. This could potentially give a ray of hope to everyone that plastic can also be a problem that has the possibility of a solution and be a motivator to all organisations and people to pitch in and do their best to become factors of solution. In the case that algae’s are effective in bringing about a change then scientists can continue their research in the hopes of newer species which target other components of plastic to eradicate those too. Written by Bushra Mehmood Noor Alvi Mairah Ahmad