Scientists have discovered a way of making a drug for Parkinson’s disease from used plastic bottles, saying it shows how waste materials can be “reimagined as valuable resources”. It is said to be the first time a natural biological process has been used to turn plastic waste into a therapeutic for a neurological disease. The process involves using specially engineered E. coli bacteria to turn a type of plastic used widely in food and drink packaging – i.e. “If we can create medicines for neurological disease from a waste plastic bottle, it’s exciting to imagine what else this technology could achieve. “Plastic waste is often seen as an environmental problem, but it also represents a vast, untapped source of carbon.

Source: The Star March 23, 2026 11:02 UTC