Scientists are mixing bacteria with plastic to create a 'living plastic' that appears to have remarkably good properties

Scientists have invented a plastic that can dissolve itself. They achieved this by breathing new life into the material – literally.

It may seem a bit strange, but nothing could be further from the truth: scientists have invented “living plastic.” The research immediately shows that this is a panacea: the new material is stronger and more flexible than was previously possible. Not only that; Living plastic's biggest trump card is the fact that it can dissolve itself – without outside help. So scientist John Pokorski is excited. He explains: “This material can decompose on its own without the presence of other microbes.” It is very likely that in the future, a lot of this type of plastic will end up outside the compost plant (where it can be processed, ed.). The ability to disassemble itself makes this technology much more versatile. The research has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

development
The process of direct production of the new material turned out to be surprisingly simple. Thus, scientists benefited Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); A type of soft plastic that is frequently used for, among other things, Memory foam. Then they used bacterial species Bacillus subtilisIt is a type known for its ability to break down plastic. “This is an inherent property of these bacteria,” Pokorski adds. “We chose from a number of bacterial samples and investigated what would make best use of TPU. We then selected the sample that could grow best.”

In the final step of the production process, the “ingredients” were heated to a temperature of 135 degrees Celsius, after which they were mixed in a machine that can produce plastic. However, there was a problem: the bacterial species was not originally equipped to survive at this temperature. Therefore, more research was needed to ensure that the production process ran smoothly. Co-investigator Adam Vest contributed to the study. “In the laboratory we have continuously developed cells to handle the high temperatures required to produce TPU,” he explains. This process essentially consists of heating the bacteria to increasingly higher temperatures, in order to continue culturing the remaining samples and repeating the tests. “We finally found a specimen that can withstand extreme heat,” Feist says. It has been remarkable how successful this process of bacterial evolution and selection has been.

Improvements
The new material is interesting because it can dissolve 90% of itself in just five months. In addition, bacteria also appear to harden and soften the plastic. Pokorski adds; “Both properties were greatly improved after the arrival of bacteria. This is remarkable, because the addition of bacterial species can push the mechanical properties of the material beyond current limits. Previously, there was always a balance between strength and flexibility.”

However, scientists still have a lot of follow-up research to do. It is currently unknown what remains of the plastic after it breaks itself down. Scientists expect that the residue should not be harmful, because B. Kind Generally beneficial to human, animal and plant health. Scientists say they want to repeat the research with more types of plastic in the future. “There are many different types of commercial plastics, and TPU is just one of them,” Feist concludes. “For our follow-up plan, we want to make more biodegradable materials based on this technology.”