The keynote starts with some disturbing facts: by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean and only nine percent of plastic will be recycled. These are both alarming statements because the material introduces harmful pollutants into our soil, water and food. In the quest to combat the excessive use of plastic, Morgan Vague introduces bacteria as a “cheap, sustainable, [and] adaptable” way to tackle pollution on a large scale. There are a number of benefits for plastic-eating bacteria. First, these microscopic living things are everywhere – there are an estimated total of five million trillion trillion, and they can survive in extreme and diverse environments.
The conversation about plastic-eating bacteria then reveals some of the intricacies of Morgan Vague’s research. First, she collected soil samples from EPA-designated Superfund sites. Her focus was on facilitating “a carbon-free media or a food-free environment” for the microscopic living organisms. To sustain life, the microbiologist introduced the most popular plastic produced worldwide: polyethylene terephthalate or, simply, PET. The experiment forces bacteria to adapt and essentially start consuming PET plastic as their only food. The speaker delves briefly to reveal how her subjects process the enduring, harmful material. This is done via the lipase enzyme that breaks the PET plastic into small pieces of sugar.
The process that Morgan Vague introduces during her lecture on plastic-eating bacteria is completely natural. Through further research and problem solving, the scientific effort can help create “an industrial-scale contained carbon-free system, similar to a compost heap.” It will serve as one of the much-needed defense mechanisms against climate change and unethical consumption.
