Hospital superbug eats medical plastic
“Pseudomonas aeruginosa — a strain of bacterium that often causes antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals — can produce an enzyme that can break down medical-grade plastic. Researchers found that the enzyme, dubbed Pap1, can break down a plastic called polycaprolactone that is commonly used in health care because of its biodegradable properties. The ability to break down plastic could explain why these microbes persist in hospital environments, says biomedical scientist and study co-author Ronan McCarthy.” Nature Briefing, 8 May 2025

Nature, 8 May 2025

Microbe that infests hospitals can digest medical-grade plastic ― a first

The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces an enzyme that breaks down biodegradable plastics.

A strain of bacterium that often causes infections in hospital can break down plastic, research published this week in Cell Reports reveals.

Researchers in the United Kingdom identified an enzyme, which they called Pap1, in a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a wound. They found that the enzyme can break down a plastic that is commonly used in health care because of its biodegradable properties, called polycaprolactone (PCL).