Upcycling plastic bottles to treat Parkinson’s!
Levodopa (or L-DOPA) is a precursor to catecholamine neurotransmitters and is the most commonly prescribed medication in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Up until recently, manufacturing L-DOPA on a commercial scale has relied on fossil fuel derived processes, which is a finite resource and contributing to the negative environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. Although alternatives have been researched, the reliance on carbon in an unstable economy, inefficient enzymatic reactions and legislative changes have presented barriers.
This month, Professor Stephen Wallace’s group from the University of Edinburgh published a study that reports the production of L-DOPA by “bio-upcycling” waste plastic (PET) into L-DOPA by enzymatic action of engineered E.coli.
This is an incredible example of “killing two birds with one stone”, simultaneously producing a major medication sustainably and using plastic that would otherwise have gone to waste - a win for medicine and for the environment!
Please read the open access study, leave a rating and let us know what you think!
