A drug to treat Parkinson’s disease can be made from waste plastic bottles using bacteria, a new study shows.
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh engineered E. coli bacteria to turn post-consumer PET plastic into L-DOPA, which can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
It is the first time a natural, biological process has been engineered to turn plastic waste into a therapeutic for a neurological disease, researchers say.
Using the new technique to produce L-DOPA is more sustainable than traditional methods of making pharmaceuticals, which rely on the use of fossil fuels, the team says.
Professor Stephen Wallace, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences, who led the study, said: “This feels like just the beginning. If we can create medicines for neurological disease from a waste plastic bottle, it’s exciting to imagine what else this technology could achieve.”
“By engineering biology to transform plastic into an essential medicine, we show how waste materials can be reimagined as valuable resources that support human health.”
The researchers said the study could lead to a bio-upcycling industry that produces a wide range of products, such as flavourings, fragrances, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals.
The study was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), with test lab and innovation centre Impact Solutions as an industry partner.
Commenting on the research, Dr Liz Fletcher, Director of Impact and Deputy CEO at IBioIC, said: “This project highlights the potential of biology to reshape the way we think about waste.”
“Turning plastic bottles into a Parkinson’s drug isn’t just a creative recycling idea, it’s a way of redesigning processes that work with nature to deliver real-world benefits.”
“By demonstrating that a harmful material can be converted into something that improves human health, the team is proving that sustainable, high-value applications of biology are both practical and effective.”
