Move over Quokkas—Rottnest's Salt Lake Bacteria Could Be the Island's Next Big Claim to Fame

Rottnest bacteria shows promise for biodegradable plastic

Already famous for its quokkas, WA’s Rottnest Island is winning notoriety for its salt lake bacteria which could potentially be put to work to make biodegradable plastic.

Move over quokkas—Rottnest's salt lake bacteria could be the island's next big claim to fame

Scientists at Murdoch University have read the full genetic code of bacteria from the salt lakes of Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), giving them their clearest picture yet of how these tiny organisms could be used to make biodegradable plastic. Their research is published in the journal Microbial Genomics.