Re:Teenager Wins Science Fair, Maybe Solves Environmental Pr...
by philk on Wednesday December 23, 2009 @10:15AM
(#1012170)
Awesome project but I don't think this really counts as solving the problem of plastic bags:
* Ideal conditions are unlikely to be encountered in the wild.
* Plastic bags are spread out throughout the environment. How to get the plastic-munching bacteria to this disparate plastic isn't solved. (If all the plastic is in one place, well, we've got recycling already).
* The existing bacteria in the world will probably outcompete the bacteria this guy has developed.
* Ideal conditions are unlikely to be encountered in the wild.
* Plastic bags are spread out throughout the environment. How to get the plastic-munching bacteria to this disparate plastic isn't solved. (If all the plastic is in one place, well, we've got recycling already).
* The existing bacteria in the world will probably outcompete the bacteria this guy has developed.