The Next Acetaminophen Tablet You Take Could Be Made From PET

Researchers The University of Edinburgh has been successful in converting specific plastic waste into acetaminophen using natural features of common bacteria They show cool (E coli) This breakthrough presents a milestone with the possibility of running a more sustainable method Drug Production and at the same time contribute to reduction of global plastic pollution.

Stephen Wallace led this research E coli Cells contain phosphate, an organic compound that is capable of catalyzing a chemical reaction as a losen rearrangement. In general, this process involves rearrangement of hydroxamate ester molecule atoms that form a new structure called Isocyanate, a chemical intermediate that produces primary amines when reacting with water. These substances are essential for numerous biological processes and drug synthesis.

Using synthetic biology, scientists manipulated the bacteria for their internal chemistry and converted a pet’s molecule into active components of acetaminophen known as terepholitic acid. They used a similar gonor process used in briong beer, to accelerate the waste transformation of the art of art in the drug. According to the search, about 90 percent of the final product matches acetaminophen.

Importantly, this conversion was done at home temperature and virtually any carbon emission, which suggests that the drug can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way.

Wallace mentioned that the most surprising thing about the process was that the laboratory catalysts were naturally rearranged in the living bacteria. This is, they took advantage of microbial cells’ own capabilities to trigger the desired response.

“The funniest thing is to not teach us how to respond to our bacteria: the technique was that they had already had tools, and we had to guide them only,” explained to the researcher that the statement was reported in the statement By the countryThe “We have used synthetic biology to create new metabolic trails between bacteria that guides the compound that leads our chemistry. In this case a drug.”

Produce sustainable drugs

Work, published in the journal NatureThe first documentary case of acetaminophen production from plastic waste can be E coliThe However, the authors emphasized that further study would be needed to achieve art-scale production. Furthermore, they warn that the protection and effectiveness of human outcomes has not yet been evaluated, so future research will be needed.

Despite these constraints, scientists emphasized that their results expose new possibilities to solve plastic waste problems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to drug production.

Currently, the production of drugs such as acetaminophen consumes thousands of tonnes of fossil fuel, especially petroleum, which contributes significantly to climate change. Instead, pets produce more than 350 million tonnes of waste every year, causing severe damage to the environment. Although this material is recyclable, current methods often contain products that permanent global plastic pollution.

“This proves that PET plastic is not only a waste product or a plastic material: microorganisms can convert it into valuable new products, including treatment,” Wallace said in conclusion.

This story was originally attended Wired In Spanish And have been translated from Spanish.