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Bacteria Eat Styrofoam

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the just-like-a-tasty-steak dept.

chaosmage42 writes "Scientists at the University of Dublin have found a way to break down styrofoam, the bane of recyclers/composters everywhere. This could be a great step towards sustainability, but it does require the styrofoam to be heated first."

18 of 253 comments (clear)

  1. Side Effect by dsginter · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unfortunately, eating the styrofoam causes the bacteria to shit lead. Give a penny, take a penny.

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    1. Re:Side Effect by Douglas+Simmons · · Score: 4, Funny

      But what will happen if we rock the food chain boat like this, overfeeding the bacteria, to the point that they grow exponentially in population? Would you for one welcome our Lead-Pooping Overlords then?

    2. Re:Side Effect by VitrosChemistryAnaly · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Unfortunately, eating the styrofoam causes the bacteria to shit lead. Give a penny, take a penny.

      Then we would just need bacteria that eat each successive product until something useful comes out.

      1. Bacteria turn styrefome into lead.
      2. Bacteria turn lead into copper.
      3. Bacteria turn copper into Guiness.
      4. Profit!!!

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    3. Re:Side Effect by evil+agent · · Score: 5, Funny
      All we need to do then is create some genetically modified mice whose urine kills the bacteria.

      Ah, the circle of life...

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      End transmission.
    4. Re:Side Effect by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Funny
      1. Bacteria turn styrefome into lead.
      2. Bacteria turn lead into copper.
      3. Bacteria turn copper into Guiness.
      Step 4: Europeans drink Guinness and piss out American beer.
      Step 5: Sell American beer
      Step 6: Profit!

      Yea, I know, the Europeans get a free ride off the Americans.. again.
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      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    5. Re:Side Effect by corbettw · · Score: 3, Funny

      All we need to do then is create some genetically modified mice whose urine kills the bacteria.

      Followed in short order by snakes to eat the mice, and apes to kill the snakes. Problem solved!

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      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
    6. Re:Side Effect by AvitarX · · Score: 3, Funny

      You need to wait for winter to kill the apes though.

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  2. In related news... by Billosaur · · Score: 3, Funny
    Kevin O'Connor of University College Dublin and his colleagues heated polystyrene foam, the generic name for Styrofoam, to convert it to styrene oil. The natural form of styrene is in real peanuts, strawberries and a good steak. A synthetic form is used in car parts and electronic components.

    Anyway, the scientists fed this styrene oil to the soil bacteria Pseudomonas putida, which converted it into biodegradable plastic known as PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates).

    The next step for University College Dublin researchers is to get the bacteria to excrete Guinness.

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    1. Re:In related news... by Lectrik · · Score: 4, Funny
      The next step for University College Dublin researchers is to get the bacteria to excrete Guinness.


      Brilliant! ... but why force the bacteria to do something most of Dublin already does?
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      --- As to make my comment seem, by comparison, more intelegent... doodie doodie doodie poop poop poop!
    2. Re:In related news... by Minwee · · Score: 3, Funny
      "The next step for University College Dublin researchers is to get the bacteria to excrete Guinness."

      Preliminary tests have already met with success in getting UCD researchers to excrete Molson Export, Labbat's Blue and three varieties of Budweiser.

    3. Re:In related news... by Thing+1 · · Score: 3, Funny
      Flaming plasma death
      This message will self-destruct
      Now the post explodes.

      A proper haiku
      Also mentions the weather
      or the seasons, dude.

      --
      I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
  3. Another method.... by gasmonso · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just disolve the styrofoam with gasoline and tada, you have napalm. Bingo bango, problem solved!

  4. bacteria.. by dan20164 · · Score: 5, Funny

    now if they could only fart ozone..

  5. Re:So what about me? by sumday · · Score: 4, Funny

    perhaps, but definitely not the first post by organisms with the same intelligence level as bacteria.

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    sudo killall humans
  6. Re:I've seen this in action. by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny
    How do you go about setting something like this up- how much organic material, what kind of aquatic critters, etc.? (actually, self-sustaining ecosystems would be an interesting slashdot article I think... an ecosystem hack).

    My last experiment with aquatic ecosystems ended rather badly, unfortunately. I was raising a sea monkey colony. One night, I was enjoying a few beers, and I suddenly decided I had to know whether sea monkeys also liked beer. Science in action!

    Alas, sea monkeys do *not* like beer. I'm not sure if it's the various carbohydrates, yeasts and soforth that so disagreed with them, or if they just can't hold their liquor.

  7. Napalm by Dekortage · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was going to say that too... but then you have to get rid of the napalm somehow. But then it's not a waste problem anymore. It's a military problem!

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  8. So does my wife. by mmell · · Score: 4, Funny

    She calls them "rice cakes", though.

  9. This isn't Styrofoam!!! by deviantphil · · Score: 3, Funny

    Styrofoam (R) is a Trademark of The Dow Chemical COmpany. What this article is talking about is normal polystyrene such as taht used in cups.