How can blue-green algae remove plastics from our water?

Abstract

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that end up in rivers and oceans. They are hard to remove because they are so small. We wanted a better way to clean them up. We used genetic engineering to change cyanobacteria, a type of algae-like microorganism. We made the cells produce limonene, a natural oily chemical. Limonene made the outside of the cells more water-repellent. Many plastics also repel water. When we put our cyanobacteria in water with microplastics, the plastic stuck to the cells. The cells and plastic formed heavy clumps. The clumps sank to the bottom. We found that our cyanobacteria removed over 91% of the plastic in one hour. We also found a way to turn the leftover cells and plastic into new, useful materials.

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