16 yr old Boy discovers microbe that eats plastic

[Mari333]

PhDs have been searching for a solution to the plastic waste problem, and this 16 year old finds the answer.

It's not your average science fair when the 16-year-old winner manages to solve a global waste crisis. But such was the case at last month's May's Canadian Science Fair in Waterloo, Ontario, where Daniel Burd, a high school student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, presented his research on microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic.

NOTE: there are TWO high school students who discovered plastic-consuming microorganisms. The first was Daniel Burd (last year). The second was Tseng I-Ching (last month), a high school student in Taiwan.

Daniel had a thought it seems even the most esteemed PhDs hadn't considered. Plastic, one of the most indestructible of manufactured materials, does in fact eventually decompose. It takes 1,000 years but decompose it does, which means there must be microorganisms out there to do the decomposing.












http://www.mnn.com/technology/research-innovations/blogs/boy-discovers-microbe-that-eats-plastic

[aquart]

1. WHERE did he find it?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

3. He's a teenager. Probably found it in his dirty underwear. n/t

[JerseygirlCT]

11. I was going to say: under his bed, where else? nt

[3waygeek]

4. If he's anything like the typical teenage boy...

it was probably growing under a pile of clothes, dirty dishes, and other assorted detritus in his bedroom.

[aquart]

14. Okay, what happens if....

the plastic-eating microbes get into our water, our bodies, our bloodstreams?

[northernlights]

20. they'll metabolize the plastic waste

floating around. Seriously, we do ingest molecules of plastic when we drink from plastic bottles, eat food microwaved in plastic, etc. Our bodies do not have the chemistry to catabolize let alone metabolize the crap. As long as they don't release large amounts of toxins in the process, they'll clean us up and then die of starvation and either feed our bodies or be excreted.

This could be a good thing...or not. It all depends on the nature of their waste.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Unsupervised 3 year olds don't count.

:P

[fascisthunter]

5. good, because the Pacific has a giant island of trash floating in it

Oprah Shines Light On Great Pacific Garbage Patch

http://www.mnn.com/technology/research-innovations/blogs/boy-discovers-microbe-that-eats-plastic

[izquierdista]

6. Thousands of years, hah!

If that's true, why doesn't the cheap Chinese shit from the dollar store last out the month?

If your REALLY want to understand biodegredation, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV58tY

[Morning Dew]

7. This will be weaponized and then we're all screwed.

[Gabi Hayes]

8. ha...I read an SF novel about this several years ago. it got away from

the researchers who developed it, and almost destroyed the world: planes falling out of the sky, communications system....all systems using plastic, actually....destroyed, rampant fires in big cities.....anything you can think of involving plastics: destroyed! very amusing

remember that guy from The Graduate?

[Politicalboi]

12. LOL!

Yes Plastics.

[kenfrequed]

18. Heh

"I have one word for you..."

[Hydra]

9. Let's hope this leads to a way for landfill reduction

Since we seem incapable of cutting back our use of it.

[KittyWampus]

10. I'm pretty sure this was posted a while ago but it's so nice to read a positive story

[leeroysphitz]

13. Activate project Wildfire.

[jberryhill]

15. That's not plastic...

It's polycron.

There is no actual rubber
on the Phantom F-4, General.

[sakabatou]

16. I smell possible Nobel

[MrsBrady]

17. OMG...he's Canadian...you mean they not only have health care, they have science too?

do I need the sarcasm thingy?

OH yea....and does this mean Palin is in danger?

[N7255Q]

19. This is a pretty old story and might not be a good thing anyway. Plastics sequester carbon,

having microcritters converting them into COx just adds it to the atmosphere.

[dysfunctional press]

21. if they eat plastic....what do they poop?