New Process Creates Plastic From Bacteria

A more sustainably sourced version of plastic may be on the horizon. Scientists at Genomatica Inc. have announced that they have developed strains of bacteria that can produce plastic without the use of oil.  E. coli bacteria has been genetically engineered to secrete butanediol (or BDO) as they grow. BDO is a chemical compound that can be turned into a large number of plastic products – everything from spandex to car bumpers.

[Scientific American via Inhabitat]