S. Korean scientists created eco-friendly plastics
Scientists from South Korea have ‘trained’ Corynebacterium bacteria to create components of biodegradable material that can become an alternative to plastics – as reported on the website of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
It is noted that the main ‘producers’ of the new material were genetically modified Corynebacterium species, which have learned to synthesise pseudoaromatic dicarboxylic acids using metabolic engineering. These compounds formed the basis of environmentally friendly polyesters with unique properties. Polyesters are widely used in the production of plastics for the manufacture of various products.
According to laboratory tests, the new biomaterial is not inferior to polyethylene terephthalate in its physical characteristics, but it decomposes much faster in natural conditions.
