Microbes discovered that can digest plastics at low temperatures

Scientists Discovered Microbes Feasting on Plastic in the Arctic. It Could Help Fight Pollution

Scientists have discovered microbes eating plastic in cold environments, like Arctic soil and alpine slopes, a breakthrough that could help to address the pervasive problem of plastic pollution around the world, reports a new study. Humans collectively throw out about 400 million metric tons of plastic every year, a number that is only expected to grow in the coming decades. This deluge of durable trash is negatively impacting ecosystems around …

Can microbes in the Alps tackle mountains of plastic in landfill?

At the heights of the Swiss Alps, little can live. Even in summer the soil is chilly, the wind blows away all but the hardiest vegetation, and only a few marmo

Scientists discover microbes in the Alps and Arctic that can digest plastic at low temperatures

Scientists from Switzerland have identified 19 novel strains of cold-adapted specialist bacteria and fungi from the Alps and the Arctic region that can digest biodegradable plastics at 15°C. This ability, if upscaled to an industrial scale, will save money and energy during recycling

Microbes found that can digest plastic in freezing temperatures

The findings, recently published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, highlight the potential of these cold-adapted microbes to revolutionize the plastic recycling industry.

Microbes found in Alps and Arctic that can digest plastic at low temperatures

Scientists have found microorganisms capable of digesting plastic in the high altitudes of the Alps of Switzerland and in the polar regions of the Arctic, where temperatures are low. While several microorganisms that can do this have already been found, when their enzymes that make this possible are applied at an industrial scale, they typically only work at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.