Page 168 - CW E-Magazine (30-4-2024)

News from Abroad

TACKLING PLASTIC WASTE CRISIS
US start-up, Breaking, unveils microbe-based solution

capable of quickly degrading multiple types of plastic

Breaking, a US-based ‘plastic degra- 22 months, the company said. Colossal
dation’ startup, has launched from said that with future synthetic genetic
stealth based on a core discovery out edits, the team is focused on making
of the Wyss Institute for Biologically ‘X-32’ faster, more efficient, and more
Inspired Engineering at Harvard Uni- effective with a harmless environmental
versity. Breaking, which gestated at impact. The microbe starts to work
US-based Colossal Biosciences, said that immediately, Colossal said.
its discovery, ‘X-32’, will be developed
to address the global plastic waste crisis. Concurrently, ‘X-32’ utilises plastics
as a primary carbon source and needs
A stealth launch (a type of fair Wakeford; and Colossal’s co-founders no pre-treatment, sorting, cleaning, or
launch) is a strategic approach employed Mr. George Church and Mr. Ben Lamm. decontamination. Colossal said the team
by certain startups to release their pro- has identified numerous applications
ducts or services without any prior “We could not be more thrilled including utilisation in wastewater, food
announcements or marketing campaigns. to launch Breaking from stealth from waste and marine applications where
Colossal,” Mr. Lamm said in a statement. ‘X-32’ and its further enhanced versions
The company’s ‘X-32’ is microbe- “The technologies co-developed by the will be added to current microbe-based
based solution that destroys multiple Wyss Institute provide limitless applica- degradation programmes.
types of plastic by breaking down tions to address our planet’s pervasive
hydrocarbon chains across different plastic contamination challenges. Part Also, as ‘X-32’ degrades plastics, it
chemical structures quickly. of our core mission of ecosystem resto- generates biomass containing different
ration at Colossal can only be achieved biomolecules that may also hold great
Breaking said it had raised $10.5-mn with the removal of plastic that plague value in various industries. “Those mole-
in a seed round prior to the announce- our ecosystems and negatively impact cules unveil potential for utilisation in
ment. The company was co-founded by biodiversity.” the production of biofuels, biodegrada-
Mr. Donald Ingber, founding director of ble plastics, and high-value chemicals.
the Wyss Institute; biotech entrepreneur In its natural state, ‘X-32’ can The team will continue to investigate the
and Harvard geneticist CEO, Ms. Sukanya degrade polyolefins, polyesters, and use cases as they more deeply explore
Punthambaker; CSO Mr. Vaskar polyamides leaving behind carbon di- X-32’s enzyme secretion and biomass
Gnyawali; Ms. Alba Tull; Mr. Kent oxide, water, and biomass in as little as byproduct,” the company said.
WATER MANAGEMENT
EU parliament adopts new urban wastewater directive;

votes for extended producer responsibility

Pharmaceutical and cosmetics manu- On April 10, the EU’s parliament states on the revision of the Urban
facturers will have to pay for eliminat- approved a package of rules that will Wastewater Treatment Directive. Medi-
ing micropollutants in urban wastewa- make the pharmaceutical and cosme- cines and cosmetics are deemed to
ter within the European Union. The two tic industries cover more of the costs be the two main sources of micropol-
sectors will have to jointly cover at least of cleaning up their wastewaters. lutants entering wastewater treatment
80% of the additional costs induced by With a vote of 481 in favour and 79 plants.
the cleaning up. The whole package against, with 26 abstentions, Europe’s
must still be officially approved by the parliament rubber-stamped an accord More stringent rules
EU’s member states. it reached late January with member The text, which revises rules in

168 Chemical Weekly April 30, 2024

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