Home Aquariums

New Enzyme Could Revolutionize Production Of Plastics

Acrylic glass like that used in home aquariums is correctly known as PMMA.  It was first developed in 1928 and is now manufactured in vast quantities for use in everything from paints and adhesives to prosthetics, safety glasses and aquariums.  The emerging problem with PMMA is that petrochemicals are used in its manufacture and as we all know, that is becoming more and more problematic.

Two scientists from Germany, Dr Thore Rohwerder and his mentor Dr Roland H. Müller discovered an enzyme in a newly isolated bacterial strain they found while searching for bacteria to break down the pollutant MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether).  This enzyme, integrated into metabolically appropriate microorganisms, can  transform sugars, alcohols and other natural compounds into the chemicals needed for PMMA manufacture. It will take about four years to establish the bacterial system in a functioning technological process (pilot plant). And hopefully, within about ten years, a technological process can be put into place.

So, maybe in the not too distant future our aquariums will become more ecologically friendly.