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When microbes degrade plastic, where does it go?

Published: 10/13/2026, 12:00 AM

Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Anton Stepnov and colleagues rightly highlight concerns about using common laboratory tests to study plastic-eating microorganisms (see A. A. Stepnov et al. Nature 657, 611–620; 2026). However, extending their discussion to the fate of particles shed during whole-cell experiments raises a crucial question: when the mass of a sample decreases, has the plastic truly been removed? Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Microbes can capture carbon and degrade plastic — why aren’t we using them more? Chemists struggle to ditch hazardous solvents — even after decades of ‘green’ efforts