Researchers Convert PET Waste Into Acetaminophen
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have discovered a method to turn post-consumer PET waste into acetaminophen.
A team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Wallace Lab used genetically reprogrammed E. coli bacterium to convert terephthalic acid into the active ingredient of acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, a widely used painkiller medication.
The university released news of its research June 23.
The academics used hydrolysis to depolymerize PET flakes from a discarded bottle into its constituents monomers which include terephthalic acid. They then used a fermentation process using E.coli to accelerate the conversion from terephthalic acid into acetaminophen in less than 24 hours. Around 90 percent of the process output was acetaminophen.
The team carried out the method at lab scale at room temperature. The process produced virtually no carbon emissions, indicating that the drug can be produced sustainably.
Acetaminophen is usually synthesized using phenol and acetic anhydride, which are typically produced from fossil-fuel derived chemicals. The energy required for its industrial synthesis, including heat, pressure, and catalysts, is usually also sourced from fossil fuels.
The Edinburgh team said that further development is needed before acetaminophen can be produced from PET waste at commercial levels.
“This work demonstrates that PET plastic isn’t just waste or a material destined to become more plastic — it can be transformed by microorganisms into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease,” said Stephen Wallace, chair of chemical biotechnology at University of Edinburgh and lead author of the study.
Experts say this new approach demonstrates how traditional chemistry can work with engineering biology to create living microbial factories capable of producing sustainable chemicals while also reducing waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and reliance on fossil fuels.
The team shared their findings in "A biocompatible Lossen rearrangement in Escherichia coli," recently published in Nature Chemistry.
The research was funded by an EPSRC CASE award and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the university’s commercialization service.