Stomach Fluid In Cows Observed To Breakdown Common Plastics

Jul, 2021 - By WMR

Scientists from Austria, have found a group of enzymes within a cow’s stomach fluid that could break-down common plastics utilized in packaging and textiles.

Researchers are currently beginning to demonstrate he way naturally found microbes could offer a push for breaking down plastic. The newest instance of it comes through scientists from Austria, who have found a group of enzymes within a cow’s stomach fluid that could break-down common plastics utilized in packaging and textiles.

In recent times, a range of promising researches demonstrating how the bacteria might help in eating away at the problem of plastic pollution. These have consisted of the finding of a bacteria in a recycling plant at Japan which demolishes PET plastics for carbon and energy, and how certain bacteria could even be designed for supercharging their plastic consumption rates. More recently, the world have even seen how enzymes could be integrated in plastic at a production stage, allowing it for breaking down within days, and even keeping itself clean. A latest discovery within this area is by scientists from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria, who were attracted to the thought that a cow stomach’s compartment named as the rumen could have somethings to offer the efforts. It is due to the cow’s ability of consuming and breaking down natural polyesters of plant as portion of their diets, hence the scientists assumed their digestive systems might be able to break down plastics, as well.

The researchers had studied previously how solo microbes could break-down plastic, however found this rumen liquid of being way more effective. The team consider this is due to the microbial community’s synergy and the enzyme combinations that they produce, instead of relying on only one enzyme. Relating this method as under-explored, scientists plan of conducting further research within this area. Though the method has just been demonstrated so far within the lab and more investigations are required, they do foresee potential for scaling up this approach.