Interesting framing from the get-go: > With billions of people experiencing hunger in 2025 and unable to afford a healthy diet, food insecurity remains a critical global challenge. You know where this is headed.
Let them eat plastic
Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
91–100 of 107 posts
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#92Is there any of this ”bacteria converting plastic to fuel/food/neutral stuff“ actually applied anywhere at scale under economically reasonably conditions?
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Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#93Yummy, can't wait to spread the packing on my plastic bread /s
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then, those pieces are fed to the programmed yeasts, which transform them into a variety of new food ingredients, including proteins, fats and acids PET consists of repeating C10H8O4 monomers. Glucose is C6H12O6 and starch is a natural polymer containing it. It's not surprising that reactions can turn one into the other, along with other compounds containing hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen.
Just because two substances are made of a similar distribution of atoms it doesn't mean much in terms of how one can be transformed effectively into the other...
> transformed effectively
Well that's where the yeast comes in, it does the work for us. And we desperately need ways to convert plastics into something that is not as durable, and ideally something we (or if that's too icky, farm animals) can eat afterwards.
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#95[dead]
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not exactly these set of microbes(you will need to find the process). These authors used engineered microbes on a plastic derived substrate and not the plastic it self(PET). To make a fuel or food or other stuff out of it you need to define the microbes set(mixture). Almost every study claiming plastic to X follows hybrid pattern, they break the polymer into smaller molecules by depolymerization either thermally/chem…
Minor point, but a few years ago there was noise about waxworms being able to break down PE into ethylene glycol somehow , which would mean enzymatically breaking C-C bonds. No idea where that research ended up.
Yes, you are correct. Waxworm saliva in combination with gut microbes can digest PE.
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you perhaps misreading what I wrote, or am I misreading what you wrote? My reading of what you wrote makes me think you are interpreting me as claiming special purpose yeasts turn into other stuff readily, etc. etc. on edit: my confusion stems from being the first to reference anything Jurassic in the conversation, so you sound somewhat accusatory.
I was agreeing with you and tossing in my own 2¢.
OK cool, sorry had a rough night of only a couple hours sleep so wasn't sure.
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#98> The researchers took PET plastic, discarded corn plant stalks and leaves, and other biomass and put it through a proprietary process called oxidative hydrothermal dissolution. Created by SIU Carbondale Geology Professor Ken Anderson, this method uses water and oxygen at high temperatures and pressures to break down tough material into microbe-accessible pieces. Then, those pieces are fed to the programmed yeasts, w…
Vegetables grown in shit, garbage, and pesticides are fine as long as the levels of harmful residues are low enough by the time they reach people's mouths. Not appealing, but also not that "dystopian"
Good luck actually doing that, however.
Plenty of folks wishing to pretend though.
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
Vegetables grown in shit, garbage, and pesticides are fine as long as the levels of harmful residues are low enough by the time they reach people's mouths. Not appealing, but also not that "dystopian"
Good luck actually doing that, however. Plenty of folks wishing to pretend though.
Using manure and compost as fertilizer is likely as old as agriculture (though i disagree using pesticides is fine). What did you mean?
Re: Engineered yeast for converting plastic and biomass compounds to food additives
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
Good luck actually doing that, however. Plenty of folks wishing to pretend though.
Using manure and compost as fertilizer is likely as old as agriculture (though i disagree using pesticides is fine). What did you mean?
Plenty of substances bio accumulate, and being less than careful with animal waste as fertilizer causes outbreaks and disease.