Genetically modified bacteria may eat up ocean plastic waste

10 comments

Can they promise it will only eat that? Also what's the byproduct.
- what's the byproduct
  
  Robotic zombies that shoot covid out of their eyes.
This sounds like the beginning of an apocalypse movie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_goo
Some version of this concept has floated (pun intended) around for a while. Thing is that plastics are an energy dense "food source" and once something evolves a way to metabolize it they'll have a huge advantage.

It's like how glyphosate tolerance has appeared in weed plants already. Evolution is always looking for an angle.
Ill Wind, by Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason
Not necessary, normal bacteria&friends are already doing it. Also funnily enough there is an increase in biodiversity because of the Great Pacific Garbage patch because sea life can attach to the trash, creating a new ecosystem.

Nature do be amazing like that.
- I have always said, nature will continue to thrive, it is we that will have consenquences
  
  yes, that and massive biodiversity loss that will take millions of years to recover

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