Scientists Accidentally Created a Plastic Bottle-Eating Mutant Enzyme

By Erica Sanchez and Daniele Selby

Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down — the mutant enzyme starts the process in days.

From microwave and x-ray technologies to penicillin, many of the world’s greatest inventions were inspired by accidents in the lab. And now a team of scientists may be responsible for the world’s latest “happy accident” — mutant enzymes that eat plastic bottles.

To read more: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/plastic-bottle-waste-eating-enzyme-mutant/