Genetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater
sciencedaily.com
To address this challenge, the researchers worked with two species of bacteria. The first bacterium, Vibrio natriegens, thrives in saltwater and is remarkable -- in part -- because it reproduces very quickly. The second bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, is remarkable because it produces enzymes that allow it to break down PET and eat it.
"remarkable ... because it reproduces very quickly" + "remarkable because it produces enzymes that allow it to break down PET and eat it" + civilization that's literally built on top of PET = No Way This Can Go Wrong.
So I guess we’ll need new antibacterial chemicals to keep our plastic from rotting/getting eaten by gmo bacteria.