🧪 From Pollution to Pain Relief: How Bacteria Are Turning Plastic Waste into Paracetamol

In a groundbreaking fusion of biotechnology and sustainability, scientists have engineered a common bacterium to transform plastic waste into paracetamol — the everyday painkiller found in medications like Tylenol and Panadol.

The Science Behind the Breakthrough

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh, led by chemical biotechnologist Stephen Wallace, have genetically modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) to digest molecules derived from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic commonly used in food packaging and textiles. Through a series of chemical and biological steps, the bacteria convert these molecules into para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a key precursor to paracetamol.

Central to this process is the Lossen rearrangement — a chemical reaction traditionally considered too toxic for living cells. Wallace’s team discovered that this reaction could occur inside E. coli, thanks to naturally occurring phosphate ions that catalyze the transformation.

Why E. coli?

5. coli has long been the workhorse of biotechnology. Non-pathogenic strains are widely used in labs and industry to produce everything from insulin to biofuels. Its fast growth, well-understood genetics, and adaptability make it ideal for testing new biological concepts.

Wallace has previously used E. coli to convert plastic waste into vanilla flavoring and even sewer fatbergs into perfume. This latest innovation adds pharmaceuticals to the list — with 92% of the degraded PET successfully converted into paracetamol within 48 hours.

A Step Toward Sustainable Medicine

This research not only offers a novel way to upcycle plastic waste but also challenges the fossil fuel dependency of pharmaceutical manufacturing. By combining synthetic chemistry with engineered biology, scientists are unlocking new pathways to produce vital medications more sustainably.

As Wallace puts it: “We’re able to transform a prolific environmental and societal waste into such a globally important medication in a way that’s completely impossible using chemistry alone or biology alone”.

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📌 Source: Nature Chemistry via Nature.com
🧬 Additional reporting: Science News and MSN Health

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