A major breakthrough has been made by new study from the university of Edinburgh in the UK, which used Escherichia coli bacteria to turn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic molecules into acetaminophen, also referred to as paracetamol. This presents a viable strategy to combat the use of fossil fuels in the production of pharmaceuticals as well as plastic pollution.
 
Usually, acetaminophen is made from fossil fuels.  Using waste materials like plastic in place of these elements could offer a creative way to address two significant environmental issues.

This innovative method has a lot of promise for waste management and sustainable medicine production, but it will take time to scale up the process and show its industrial and commercial feasibility.
 
According to a university of Edinburgh news release, there are a number of advantages to this method, including:
 
Fast Turnaround: You can see results in as little as 24 hours.
Compact Setup: It can be carried out in a tiny lab space.
Energy Efficiency: It doesn't require excessive heating or cooling because it runs at room temperature.  

According to biotechnologist stephen Wallace of the university of Edinburgh, "this work demonstrates that PET plastic isn't just waste or a material destined to become more plastic - it can be transformed by microorganisms into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease."
 
According to experts, this new method shows how engineering biology and classical chemistry may be combined to build living microbial factories that can produce sustainable chemicals while lowering waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and dependency on fossil fuels.

The biopharmaceutical business AstraZeneca, with funding from Edinburgh Innovations (EI), and an EPSRC CASE award financed the study, which was published in Nature Chemistry.
 
"To turn these groundbreaking discoveries into game-changing inventions, we are enlisting the help of outstanding businesses like AstraZeneca to collaborate with stephen and other academic staff.  We would encourage prospective partners to contact us," said Ian Hatch, Head of Consultancy at EI, "since engineering biology has enormous potential to break our dependency on fossil fuels, generate sustainable chemicals and materials, and establish a circular economy."  
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G GOWTHAM

25/06/2025 11:36 AM