Researchers are seeking to develop enzymes that can break down plastics so they can be 100% recycled
The world produces approximately 400 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Much of it ends up in landfills and a significant portion pollutes the world's oceans. Yet even when plastic is recycled, the process degrades the material, limiting its future recyclability.
While we can try to reduce our reliance on plastic, industries like food and medicine can't simply replace it. Scientists John McGeehan, Rosie Graham and their colleagues at the Center for Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth are therefore developing a different solution: a fully circular plastic economy. The idea is to use enzymes to break down plastic polymers so they can be 100% recycled back to their original state – or even recycle degraded materials back to the quality of virgin plastic.
In the video above, John and Rosie explain how a chance email sent to the AlphaFold team accelerated their work.
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