Current Affairs - Science - Discussion

Scientists in Britain and the United States have discovered "PETase" an enzyme that can digest some commonly polluting plastics. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a strong plastic that is commonly used in bottles. It takes hundreds of years to break down in the environment. The discovery was made by researchers from Britain's University of Portsmouth and the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. PETase is secreted by Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 to digest plastic. The enzyme is able to digest PET (polyethylene terephthalate).