Tylenol could potentially be made greener and cheaper with the help of bacteria. E.coli, common in the gut microbiome, can be used to break down plastic into paracetamol, according to a study published in the journal Nature Chemistry. Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is the main active ingredient in the painkiller Tylenol, and is generally produced using crude oil and other fossil fuels.
"By merging chemistry and biology in this way for the first time, we can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up plastic waste from the environment at the same time," study lead author Stephen Wallace, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, told The Guardian.
The researchers genetically modified E.coli to be able to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in food packaging and bottles, and ultimately produce paracetamol. This process can occur at room temperature and produces no carbon emissions. While it will take some time before the painkiller can be widely produced using this method, "this could mark part of a broader shift toward more sustainable, biology-based manufacturing practices, both in the pharmaceutical industry and in plastic recycling," said the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Plastic waste harms the environment, polluting waterways and leaching chemicals into the ecosystem. But this discovery presents a solution to the pollution. The findings indicate that "PET plastic isn't just waste destined to become more plastic," Wallace said in a news release. It can be transformed "into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease." | 
