In a groundbreaking study, Chinese scientists from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have engineered a bacteria strain with superpowers for cleaning high-salinity industrial wastewater! This innovative microbe can simultaneously break down five stubborn organic pollutants – biphenyl, phenol, naphthalene, dibenzofuran, and toluene – commonly found in wastewater from chemical plants and oil & gas facilities.
The team employed cutting-edge synthetic biology techniques, integrating modular metabolic pathways into a single bacterium. In lab tests, the engineered strain achieved over 60% removal of all targeted pollutants in just 48 hours, completely degrading biphenyl and reaching near 90% degradation for compounds like toluene and dibenzofuran.
This achievement not only highlights the potential for cleaner industrial processes but also paves the way for environmental applications such as oil spill remediation, restoration of polluted sites, and even tackling microplastic waste. As researcher Dai Junbiao emphasized, this bacteria could serve as an environmental superhero in our ongoing fight for a cleaner planet! 🦸
Innovative solutions like this continue to inspire young scientists and eco-enthusiasts around the world, proving that creativity and determination can lead to transformative change.
Reference(s):
Chinese scientists develop engineered bacteria to degrade pollutants
cgtn.com
