Eating Ocean Plastics

Gobbling Up Ocean Plastics

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 8 million metric tons of plastics enter the oceans annually, threatening wildlife and humans alike. But what if an organism could be used to break down the plastics? Over several semesters, a team of IllinoisInstitute of Technology students worked to genetically modify algae that could potentially eat away at this growing problem.

After learning about bacteria that can degrade plastic, the research team isolated the specific gene from the bacterial DNA and implanted the gene into E. coli, which can carry genes independently of its own chromosomes. For the next step, members are working to modify blue-green algae, which uses sunlight to produce its own food. Since the algae does not ingest the plastic, its enzyme-producing gene must be modified to secrete the enzyme at a rate that will break down plastic efficiently. In theory, once the DNA is introduced to the algae through the E. coli, the algae should secrete the enzyme to break down plastics. —Casey Moffitt

[From left] Illinois Tech students › Sadie Meunier (BCHM 4th

Year) and Annah Ellingson (BIO 4th Year) work in the lab to genetically engineer algae that will degrade ocean plastics.