Students read an article in TheGuardian and answer questions about a mutant enzyme accidently discovered which could eventually help reduce plastic waste by breaking down the plastic into it's original components.
From which website was this article taken?
What was created by the scientists?
What does the new discovery do?
What type of organism was discovered in 2016? What was it's special super power?
What type of molecule in the bacteria had been mutated?
What does PET stand for, in the context of this article?
What did the scientists 'accidentally' do to the enzyme?
How long does the mutant enzyme take to start breaking down plastic?
What will the enzyme do to the plastic (be more specific than 'break it down')?
At what rate are plastic bottles sold each minute world wide?
How much of it is recycled?
What does 'resistant to degradation' mean within the context of this article?
Currently what are recycled plastic bottles turned into?
Where did scientists find the new enzyme?
What is special about Diamond Light Source?
What is cutin?
Where are scientist thinking about transplanting the mutant enzyme into?
What caution did Professor Azapagic state at the end of the article?