Swiss scientists have discovered cold-adapted microbes capable of breaking down biodegradable plastics at 15°C, which could pave the way for more cost-effective and environmentally friendly plastic recycling.Researchers have discovered microbial strains in the high altitudes of the Alps and in the polar regions that can break down biodegradable plastics at temperatures as low as 15°C .
Rüthi and colleagues sampled 19 strains of bacteria and 15 of fungi growing on free-lying or intentionally buried plastic in Greenland, Svalbard, and Switzerland. Most of the plastic litter from Svalbard had been collected during the, where students did fieldwork to witness the effects of climate change at first hand. The soil from Switzerland had been collected on the summit of the Muot da Barba Peider and in the valley Val Lavirun, both in the canton Graubünden.
: these were able to digest all of the tested plastics except PE. The results also showed that the ability to digest plastic depended on the culture medium for most strains, with each strain reacting differently to each of four media tested.How did the ability to digest plastic evolve? Since plastics have only been around since the 1950s, the ability to degrade plastic almost certainly wasn’t a trait originally targeted by natural selection.