{"id":823,"date":"2026-03-17T08:15:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T09:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/?p=823"},"modified":"2026-04-10T13:02:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:02:51","slug":"scientists-recycle-waste-plastic-bottles-into-parkinsons-drug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/17\/scientists-recycle-waste-plastic-bottles-into-parkinsons-drug\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists recycle waste plastic bottles into Parkinson\u2019s drug"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0<\/div>\n

\"Plastic<\/h4>\n

A drug to treat Parkinson\u2019s disease can be made from waste plastic bottles using bacteria, a new study shows.<\/h4>\n

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh engineered\u00a0E. coli<\/em>\u00a0bacteria to turn post-consumer PET plastic into L-DOPA, which can be used to treat Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

It is the first time a natural, biological process has been engineered to turn plastic waste into a therapeutic for a neurological disease, researchers say.<\/p>\n

Using the new technique to produce L-DOPA is more sustainable than traditional methods of making pharmaceuticals, which rely on the use of fossil fuels, the team says.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Professor Stephen Wallace harvesting engineered bacteria for analysis. CREDIT: Edinburgh Innovations-2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Professor Stephen Wallace, of the University of Edinburgh\u2019s School of Biological Sciences, who led the study, said: \u201cThis feels like just the beginning. If we can create medicines for neurological disease from a waste plastic bottle, it\u2019s exciting to imagine what else this technology could achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy engineering biology to transform plastic into an essential medicine, we show how waste materials can be reimagined as valuable resources that support human health.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers said the study could lead to a bio-upcycling industry that produces a wide range of products, such as flavourings, fragrances, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals.<\/p>\n

The study was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), with test lab and innovation centre Impact Solutions as an industry partner.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the research, Dr Liz Fletcher, Director of Impact and Deputy CEO at IBioIC, said: \u201cThis project highlights the potential of biology to reshape the way we think about waste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTurning plastic bottles into a Parkinson\u2019s drug isn\u2019t just a creative recycling idea, it\u2019s a way of redesigning processes that work with nature to deliver real-world benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy demonstrating that a harmful material can be converted into something that improves human health, the team is proving that sustainable, high-value applications of biology are both practical and effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The post Scientists recycle waste plastic bottles into Parkinson\u2019s drug<\/a> appeared first on Circular Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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