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€1 million prize for plastics-to-protein research awarded to Steve Techtmann, Ting Lu


https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...u-mp071321.php

The first step in converting plastic and inedible plant wastes to protein powder is to depolymerize the wastes into more biodegradable compounds -- that is, break the polymer into its monomers, or individual, components. The current process converts plastic into compounds that look somewhat like oil using heat and a reactor that can deconstruct plastic's polymer chains. The oil-like compounds are then fed to a community of oil-eating bacteria Techtmann's lab has been studying. The bacteria flourish on their oily diet, producing more bacterial cells, which are about 55% protein. This lets the team quickly convert plastic to protein.