Plastic is a material that has a serious impact on the environment, whether it is the small, broken particles that pollute the world's oceans, or all kinds of plastic pollution generated during the production process. Recently, scientists have found a more environmentally friendly way to produce plastics, replacing fossil fuels to produce ethylene through bacterial systems. The research was led by a scientific team from Ohio State University and focused on ethylene, a chemical starting point in almost all plastic production.
At present, in the plastic production process, the main sources of ethylene are crude oil and natural gas. These components are extracted through energy-intensive processes, but recent research has begun to guide scientists to more sustainable options. As the senior author of the new study Robert Tabita of Ohio State University explained, some bacteria have been found to produce ethylene, but the process they use already requires oxygen to work, which is a problem.
Tabita explained: "Oxygen and ethylene will explode, which is the main obstacle currently used in manufacturing. But the bacterial system that we discovered that produces ethylene can also work without oxygen, which brings us significant technology Advantage".
When Tabita and his team were studying the bacterial species Rhodospirillum rubrum, they found that when it metabolizes sulfur, it naturally produces ethylene. Deeply studying the mechanism behind this, the team discovered a set of proteins and a new metabolic reaction that led to the production of unexpectedly large amounts of ethylene.
Tabita said: "We can't predict this result. Recognizing the industrial and environmental significance of ethylene, we started these collaborative studies, and then discovered a new complex enzyme system. Who would believe it?"
For this research, it is still at a very early stage, and the team has only studied this process in the laboratory so far. But with the discovery of the natural source of this new important plastic component, researchers are hopeful that it can lead to a more environmentally friendly form of plastic production and completely get rid of fossil fuels.
Suzhou CoreMission International Trading Co.,Ltd. , https://www.szcoremission.com