High school girl discovers Styrofoam-eating bacterium
Top awards in last month's Intel International Science Fair go to Tseng I-Ching from Taiwan who discovered 'red bacterium' that metabolizes polystyrene.
Sat, Jun 13 2009 at 11:43 AM EST
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Photo: dhcp.tcgs.tc.edu.tw I blogged about a Canadian student's discovery of plastic-eating microorganisms last May. Just last month, another 16-year-old high school student (this time from Taiwan), Tseng I-Ching swept the world's largest science fair in the Peoples Choice Category at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) for her discovery of a polystyrene-decomposing bacterium derived from mealworm beetles.
I-Ching vivisected more than 500 mealworm beetles to isolate the single bacterium that allows the mealworm to digest one of the most troublesome forms of waste on the planet — Styrofoam. For her discovery, I-Ching was awarded the top prize in the microbiology category along with four other prizes.
The girl, nicknamed "Frog," says her main career objective is to become a microbiologist and "save the world." To that end, she spent the better part of her school year skipping classes to develop her innovative project isolating the "red bacteria" with the support of two leading microbiology scholars in Taipei.
Her hard work got her in trouble at school (at one point she almost stopped her research project due to pressure from her school teachers) but she carried on and is now grateful she stuck with her passion. As she says, "I love to observe and find wonder from nature. I love to solve questions. This is how I started my project."
There have been two successful bacteria-based solutions for styrene decomposition developed at the Department of Biotechnology in Tottori, Japan, as well as the Department of Microbiology at the National University of Ireland. Both rely upon a patented soil organism called Pseudomonas putida.
Polystyrene is the bad boy of the petrochemical industry. In addition to the highly toxic chemicals required to manufacture polysterene products (namely benzene), expanded polystyrene foam requires ozone-depleting HCFC's (CFC's used to be used to make Styrofoam, but they have been banned for the most part). Then once disposed, it basically NEVER decomposes. It does however break apart into smaller granules, but because of its light weight, those particles quickly become both airborne and waterborne, where they wreck havoc on the ocean food chain.
The U.S. disposes of about 25 billion Styrofoam cups every year and tons more extruded and expanded polystyrene packaging material. It's a big, big problem. Biodegradable alternatives are now hitting the market, but hopefully Tseng I-Ching's small discovery will help give to give existing Styrofoam waste a proper burial.
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Comments
Hammer
07/22/2009 15:33 PM
Conducted at University College Dublin, the experimenters heated the polystyrene to get styrene oil, which was “fed” to the bacteria Pseudomonas putida. The result was a biodegradable plastic called polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).
Fron CEO ccna exam Inc.
john sena
07/09/2009 06:51 AM
There are several certified girls institutes in country, which suggest several creativity and curriculum activities to enhance the several skills of the girls. The main motive of these schools is to develop various skills and talent of the girls in every aspect of educations. These institutes offer several career making courses.
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Oblisami,G.
06/20/2009 06:12 AM
The discovery of redbacterium eating styrofoam by a HIghschool girl from Taiwan, Tseng I-Cheng, is indicator of the prevalence of microbes in the ecosystem involved in the degradation of man-made and hazardous chemicals. She must be encouraged to deeper in her project work by the society. Proper guidance should be provided to her by the academics involved in such studies. Mother Nature could be safe from pasticpollution by involving team research even at the Highschool adncollegeate level. .... More
