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Comments at a glance: Boy discovers microbe that eats plastic

MNN readers speak out on the good, the bad, and the absurd of this discovery
Wed, Jun 24 2009 at 12:58 PM EST

Karl Burkart's story about the 16-year-old science fair winner who discovered a plastic-eating microbe has remained a fixture atop MNN's "most popular pieces" feature since its publication on June 12.  And the comments by our users (some intelligent, some challenging, and some very funny) are bringing back readers as well. 
 
Here's a sampling of the best:
  • Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jun 12 2009 at 9:18 AM EST: Simply Amazing
It's good to read stories like these. Things like these make us all aware that there are still kids out there that can and will still make a difference in the global stage.
 
  • Posted By Alysa - Fri, Jun 12 2009 at 9:57 AM EST: Wow
This is fantastic news. Obviously it shouldn't overshadow the need to keep plastic to a minimum, but to know we could potentially undo all that we have damaged is so wonderful to hear.
Plus the fact an unfunded 16 year old did this in his home is inspiring. Kinda makes you wonder what scientists and scholars have been doing all this time.
 
  • Posted By Anonymous - Sun, Jun 14 2009 at 7:37 AM EST: Why?
If the plastic is contained, as would be required by a breakdown process like this, then why not re-use it rather than destroy it?

 

  • Posted By Laniius - Sat, Jun 13 2009 at 7:28 AM EST: Recycling plastic
Recycling plastic isn't all that efficient, so in some cases it might be better to decompose it. Also, you can only recycle it so many times before it becomes useless so this may be a great way to end the cycle.
 
  • Posted By Anonymous - Sun, Jun 14 2009 at 10:33 AM EST: Consensus has turned against biodegradable plastic
Most scientists have agreed that biodegradable plastic is now a bad idea because of the CO2 that would be released. If you imagine what a "tiny bit of CO2" multiplied by billions would do, you can see that it's now safer for the plastic to remain as plastic... I remember reading a quote similar in meaning to this after an enviornmental conference. Biodegradable plastic was good, but now is bad.
  • Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jun 18 2009 at 12:48 PM EST: A win, win scenario
If the microbe will consume plastic that floats on the ocean in huge islands of waste, and the byproduct of that action is Co2, then it will feed the Marine phytoplankton that use Co2 as feed and the byproduct of that action is it creates 50-90% of the oxygen we breath, and Phytoplankton feeds most of the creatures in the oceans.
We then have a win/win situation. But again, there needs to be more studies to make sure the microbes don't get out of hand and consume plastic that is still in use, or a way to control its vast appetite and contain the spreading to environmentally favorable substances.
 
  • Posted By Andrew - Wed, Jun 17 2009 at 5:18 PM EST: Usefulness of Plastics
One of the largest advantages of plastic (the reason we use it *everywhere*) is that it is NOT biodegradable. Developing strains of plastic-eating bacteria is, in my mind, no different than developing bacteria that can more effectively kill people. Plastic is used in hospitals, vehicles, homes, industrial settings....The list goes on. This research should be continued in a setting similar to the settings in which biological weapons are developed.
  • Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jun 17 2009 at 6:58 PM EST: Useful AND Useless Plastics
It is true plastic is vastly used, but the purpose here is not biodegrading plastic in use... would you call plastic wastes useful? I don't think so... The purpose of this is biodegrading plastic that is USELESS, which is only there polluting our world... You used hospitals as an example... What do you think they do with small plastics objects used for individual patients, use it on someone else? (unless it is a sterilizable object) they throw it away... what happens to plastic bags that were already used? They thrown away (not always)... As you said, the list goes on.
  • Posted By $teve H - Wed, Jun 17 2009 at 7:06 PM EST: Try to explain “useful” and “useless” to the bacteria
I think the point being made was that there is no way for the bacteria to know. Sterile, wrapped plastic isn't the issue. It's plastic in use that could become exposed to the bacteria while STILL in use.
 
Posted By Anonymous - Sun, Jun 21 2009 at 2:52 PM EST: Solution?
If the microbes were used in a controlled environment (such as a treatment facility that could contain them) there would be virtually no danger of plastic that is still in use being exposed to the microbes. Unless, of course, they somehow escaped... ;)
  • Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jun 24 2009 at 9:28 AM EST: This boy should have talked to me first.
I could have told this boy that there was a much faster way to dissolve the plastic and too many uncontrolled microbes wouldn't be a problem--It's called Jack Russell Terriers. I have one of these and she can chew and "dissolve" any plastic within 15 minutes. Even the hardest plastic that you will find in things like cell phones and tv remote controls. LOL
 
 


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Comments(11)

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Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jan 08 2010 at 3:28 PM EST

go green!!

Some people really don't understand. I'm sitting here reading about this amazing breakthrough and some of you are saying how its a bad thing! you're acting as if this bacteria is going to grow into a giant blob and eat us all alive. NO. What it is going to do is basically erase all the WASTE that we have created on this earth. look around you!! mountains of garbage and waste are surrounding us. This can all be gone! Obviously the bacteria has to be in a controlled environment. Im sure something.... More

Posted By Jamie - Sat, Jan 23 2010 at 10:25 PM EST

LOL

So, you're saying that because you see this as being solely positive, anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly wrong. Early nuclear scientists figured the same; amazingly, not every result of their research was focused on helping mankind. Setting aside accidental releases of such bacteria, intentional concentrations could be used for all sorts of havoc.

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jan 08 2010 at 3:32 PM EST

i wrote the above comment

im just adding one thing:

I firmly beleive in recycling. I dont understand why people dont recycle. BUT recycling is only efficient with certain materials. Like aluminum for example, it is easily melted and molded back into whatever it will become. Plastic is not efficiently recycled! It costs a lot of money and omits green house gasses into the environment which is why there is so much waste.

Posted By Anne Chastain - Tue, Dec 22 2009 at 3:49 PM EST

Green Liberation

Eureka! Seems to me we have enough unsterilized plastic to keep the microbes busy for a long, long time! And I TOTALLY advocate using green plastic for mass consumer goods such as bags & plastic gift cards. You can make hard plastic out of all-natural ingredients. Check it out on Wikipedia!
Or www.greenliberationsalon.blogspot.com
We need everyone's help to turn this.... More

Posted By junkyardjoy - Mon, Aug 17 2009 at 12:56 PM EST

Common

New things are being discovered all the time. That is discovered not created. There are natural laws. Conservation of matter, conservation of momentum. And the fact that we have discovered less than 5% of all the life on this planet.

Posted By tabasa - Sat, Aug 15 2009 at 3:07 AM EST

Plastic is resource not a waste

Plastic is a resource and should be treated as such, which means recycle.

Posted By Gigi Gerow - Wed, Oct 07 2009 at 3:53 AM EST

If only the microbe was that prolific!

To the commentator who suggests that these microbes could possibly destroy plastic that is in use. How ridiculous and if only that were true! Then the sea of plastic that I see on the streets of Asia would magically disapper instead of finding its way into the streams, rivers and oceans.

Posted By Anonymous - Sun, Oct 18 2009 at 12:39 AM EST

Well..

How is the idea ridiculous? The microbe won't care whether the plastic is being used or not, it'll still consume/metabolize it because it is still a plastic (unless they treat it in a way such that the microbe WON'T metabolize it, which defeats the purpose of engineering it to begin with). I think the commenter is more concerned with the effect the microbe would have if it somehow got out of its controlled environment and was allowed to spread on its own, could be a "plastic plague".... More

Posted By Sackett - Mon, Dec 07 2009 at 3:09 PM EST

I can see it becoming a problem

However, it seems that the process only works efficiently under controlled, ideal breeding environments. Thus, upon escaping into the wild, it would not go on an airborne rampage eating all the plastic in its path. Instead, it might eat away at the siding on a few houses, or at the worst, destroy some water utility piping in a specific area.

Posted By Lettersalad - Thu, Dec 17 2009 at 4:12 PM EST

This already was the plot of a catrastrophe thriller...

So, would it not? I remember a novel, written in the late 80s/early 90s, titled: Microbe XYZ, the plastic eater. Usual fictionary catastrophe theme. Was then.
As it seems, after SOME weeks of breeding, we got a plastophage who accomplishes in 6 weeks what would take some centuries before.
You talk about "eat away at the siding on a few houses, or at the worst, destroy some water utility piping in a specific area". What about the cars of the people living in the houses? They contain plastic..... More

Posted By Tony - Tue, Jul 21 2009 at 12:11 PM EST

boy discovers

Great article, what an accomplishment for this young man. There is another solution to all the plastics being thrown away in landfills, it's called biodegradable bags. For more information please visit www.perfgogreen.com

Thanks

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