16yr Old Boy Discovers Microbe that Eats Plastic, page 1

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Topic started on 22-6-2009 @ 09:15 PM by Alaskan Man

It's not your average science fair when the 16-year-old winner manages to solve a global waste crisis. But such was the case at last month's May's Canadian Science Fair in Waterloo, Ontario, where Daniel Burd, a high school student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, presented his research on microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic. Daniel had a thought it seems even the most esteemed PhDs hadn't considered. Plastic, one of the most indestructible of manufactured materials, does in fact eventually decompose. It takes 1,000 years but decompose it does, which means there must be microorganisms out there to do the decomposing.

Link To Full Article

I haven't heard anything about this on the MSM news, i personally think its pretty incredible that a 16 year old boy has solved a problem that has been around for 50years or so.

I know i wasn't solving earth's problem at age 16

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 09:25 PM by Sundancer

Lets hope those things can live in water and we can dump them into the trash piles in the ocean.

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 09:36 PM by Happyfeet

Originally posted by Sundancer
Lets hope those things can live in water and we can dump them into the trash piles in the ocean.

Because releasing microbes where they don't belong has never been a bad thing before.

On a lighter note, imagine a recycling bin that you add water to and the output is good for your garden, or fuel.

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 11:24 PM by Alaskan Man

here's a pic of the kid

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 11:30 PM by Kaytagg

reply to post by Sundancer

I was thinking the exact same thing. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch seems like our most pressing concern. All that plastic is thought to be photodegradable, which is much worse than it sounds. The plastic never actually goes anywhere, it just separates into smaller and smaller pieces, then eventually ends up in the food chain.

Our oceans are so polluted I don't even eat sea food anymore, out of concern for my health

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 11:33 PM by glock19

Wow, that's awsome what a smart kid!

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 11:37 PM by star in a jar

I think this has been discovered before, but who knows what happened to the inventors.

I feel like its deja vu again. I'm sure a young woman was the last person to discover this before this guy.

What's the name of the bacteria and where is it found?

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 11:37 PM by jd140

The kid will be very successful if he can keep his common sense. It seems to me that scientist lose theirs as they grow older and study more books.

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 12:21 AM by glock19

reply to post by star in a jar

I remember a year or so ago reading about a company called LS9 Biofuels. They had found a way to modify an Escherichia coli bacterium to eat anything and poop out crude oil.

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 09:18 AM by bonsaisert

Originally posted by Alaskan Man
here's a pic of the kid

I have to say....that's exactly what i expected him to look like.

Good on ya mate.

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 09:39 AM by Raider of Truth

reply to post by Alaskan Man

well that's not surprising lol

but Kudos although it changes nothing of this world...yet

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 09:41 AM by Raider of Truth

reply to post by bonsaisert

i loled thats what i was thinking,
but still the fact he just pwned some stuffy scientists is good..yet i don't see it changing anything

if he cured cancer or something then i'd probbably commision a statue in his honour lol

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 09:45 AM by _damon

Originally posted by Alaskan Man

It's not your average science fair when the 16-year-old winner manages to solve a global waste crisis. But such was the case at last month's May's Canadian Science Fair in Waterloo, Ontario, where Daniel Burd, a high school student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, presented his research on microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic. Daniel had a thought it seems even the most esteemed PhDs hadn't considered. Plastic, one of the most indestructible of manufactured materials, does in fact eventually decompose. It takes 1,000 years but decompose it does, which means there must be microorganisms out there to do the decomposing.

Link To Full Article

I haven't heard anything about this on the MSM news, i personally think its pretty incredible that a 16 year old boy has solved a problem that has been around for 50years or so.

I know i wasn't solving earth's problem at age 16

Cool now we can pollute as we want!! Will think the stupid idiots..

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 09:50 AM by novrod

I've seen this before but I don't remember where did it start.

Here you can see one of the first:
www.jornada.unam.mx... lla:en-US

fficial%26hs%3DTGS" target="_blank" class="postlink">Investigated use of bacteria to degrade plastic

I also remember that while I was finishing my Biology degree in Portugal there was also a team that already had found bacteria not only able to degrade plastic but also able to generate biodegradable plastic.

I'm afraid this isn't new, it's just like the "cancer cure", it might already be out there but there's no interest to let it go world wide.

[edit on 02/11/2008 by novrod]

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 09:54 AM by badgerprints

If his microbes work at a reasonably fast pace and the resulting product is in any way useable or processable into a type of fuel or raw material then he's got gold.
It needs to be processed in secured ponds or tanks but the ability to do this can eventually be used to process wastes that are just going into landfills or the enviroment.
It is an important step.
Thank goodness there are still intelligent people out there trying to do good things.

As far as the picture goes:Yes. the kid looks like a class A nerd but he might end up being a rich nerd, and those guys end up doing pretty well.

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 10:11 AM by Primordial

Yeah, this is not new. It even says in the article someone else made a similar discovery a few years ago.

Now, as for me. I will now start working on a bacteria that eats the plastic eating bacteria. When this is bio engineered into a super plastic consumer, escapes into the wild, and starts eating everyones televisions, cars, bowls, tupperware, computers, etc... I will make a killing.

reply posted on 23-6-2009 @ 10:14 AM by Iamonlyhuman

I bet he went to a private school.