TED-Ed: Meet the microbes that could eat your trash | Tierney Thys and Christian Sardet

Microbes can degrade organic materials but struggle with plastics due to their synthetic nature. Plastics are made from refined oil, gas, and coal, forming polymers that are difficult for microbes to break down. Most plastics persist in the environment, contributing to pollution. However, some microbes and engineered enzymes show promise in degrading PET plastics. Despite advancements, many plastics remain resistant to biodegradation, necessitating new approaches and sustainable designs.

What is the primary reason that most microbes cannot biodegrade plastics?

• Plastics are too large for microbes to consume.

• Plastics are too soft for microbes to break down.

• Plastics are made of natural polymers.

• Plastics have only been around since the 1950s, giving microbes little time to evolve.

What percentage of plastic waste is recycled each year?

• 30%

• 10%

• 60%

• 80%

Which bacterium was discovered to have enzymes capable of breaking down PET polymers?

• Escherichia coli

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Ideonella sakaiensis

• Bacillus subtilis

What temperature do the enhanced CUTINASE enzymes operate best at?

• Around 50 degrees Celsius

• Below 40 degrees Celsius

• At 70 degrees Celsius

• Above 100 degrees Celsius

What is the main challenge in degrading plastics like PE and PP?

• They are too small for microbes to detect.

• They are made of natural polymers.

• They require temperatures above 130 degrees Celsius to begin breaking down.

• They are too soft to break down.

What is a proposed solution to the plastic waste problem?

• Stop recycling plastics.

• Rely solely on microbes to degrade plastics.

• Increase the production of plastics.

• Design environmentally friendly polymers.

Why can't we rely solely on microbes to solve the plastic waste issue?

• Microbes can only degrade a small fraction of plastic waste.

• Microbes are harmful to the environment.

• Microbes are too expensive to cultivate.

• Microbes work too quickly, causing other issues.