Un team anglo-americano è inciampato in una scoperta che potrebbe dare un contributo formidabile all’eliminazione dei rifiuti plastici che invadono il pianeta. Un enzima, prodotto naturalmente da un batterio scoperto pochi anni fa in una discarica del Giappone, è stato modificato per errore in laboratorio creandone una variante artificiale che riesce a digerire in modo molto efficace il polietilene tereftalato (a tutti noto come PET) con il quale sono prodotti bottiglie, ma pure film alimentari, tubi ed etichette.
L’enzima, descritto sulla rivista dell'Accademia delle Scienze degli Stati Uniti, è il risultato del lavoro di ricercatori dell'Università britannica di Portsmouth e del Laboratorio per le Energie Rinnovabili (Nrel) del Dipartimento per l'energia degli Stati Uniti.
Ora gli scienziati tenteranno di ulteriormente migliorare la variante della PETase con la speranza che un giorno possa contribuire agli sforzi in atto per eliminare le plastiche prodotte dall'umanità.
Diem/ATS
Oceano di plastica
Nouvo 09.03.2018, 18:00
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