Latest news with #paracetamol
Fast Company
11 hours ago
- Health
- Fast Company
Scientists engineer bacteria to turn plastic waste into painkillers
Tales of turning water into wine or weaving straw into gold are one thing, but a new study shows that scientists can transform trash into . . . Tylenol? Scientists at the University of Edinburgh were able to convert plastic waste into paracetamol, aka acetaminophen, the active ingredient in the pain reliever Tylenol. Stranger yet, they pulled off the alchemical feat using the bacteria E. coli. 'We're able to transform a prolific environmental and societal waste into such a globally important medication in a way that's completely impossible, using chemistry alone or using biology alone,' says study coauthor Stephen Wallace, a chemical biotechnologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The research team began with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic found in food packaging and polyester clothing. Using established chemical methods, they broke down the PET plastic into a precursor molecule and then added it into a cell culture of E. coli that was genetically modified. Enzymes in the modified E. coli bacteria were able to convert the plastic precursor into paracetamol 92% of the time. The transformation relies on a chemical process known as a Lossen rearrangement, which can convert one kind of molecule into a different kind of molecule. Scientists have known about the Lossen rearrangement for more than 100 years, but generally observe the phenomenon in a flask or a test tube. The research group is now working with pharmaceutical makers including AstraZeneca, one of the study's sponsors, to replicate the same chemical transformations on a larger scale. The new research isn't the first to observe the way that bacteria can be deployed to usefully break down plastic. Researchers have previously studied how wastewater bacteria found in urban waterways use a special enzyme to chew up plastic trash and convert it into carbon-based food. As we grapple with the cascading environmental and health effects that decades of proliferating plastics have wrought on the planet, bacteria capable of converting plastic into harmless or even useful molecules is a promising area of research.
National Post
4 days ago
- Health
- National Post
E.coli can turn plastic into painkillers, chemists discover
Scientists have found a way to use the bacteria to convert plastic waste into a popular painkiller, a study said Monday, though outside experts doubted the technique would make a dent in the fight against plastic pollution. Article content Paracetamol, which is one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, is made from the derivatives of fossil fuels, often by Asia-based subcontractors using cheap, polluting methods that contribute to climate change. Article content The world is also facing an escalating crisis of plastic pollution, with countries set for another bruising round of negotiations in August in the hope of sealing an international treaty to reduce plastic waste. Article content Article content The British team of researchers behind the new study sought to find a solution to the two problems by roping in a third — which is normally known for making people sick when they eat contaminated food. Article content First the chemists used a molecule derived from PET plastic, which is used in bottles and many other plastic products the world over, to spark a chemical reaction in a strain of Article content This created a molecule they called PABA, according to the Nature Chemistry study, which was partly funded by drug firm AstraZeneca. Article content By genetically modifying the bacteria, the chemists were able to transform their molecule into acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol. Article content Article content '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,' lead study Stephen Wallace said in a statement. Article content Article content Singaporean researchers not involved in the study praised how it combined synthetic and biological chemistry. Article content But 'several practical considerations remain' to take this idea beyond the proof-of-concept stage, they wrote in a linked commentary in the journal Nature Chemistry. Article content The chemical reaction produces only a limited amount of PABA molecules, which 'may be insufficient for industrial applications', they wrote. Article content Melissa Valliant, communications director of the Beyond Plastics project of Bennington College in the United States, expressed scepticism. Article content 'These discoveries never scale up to anything significant enough to tackle the massive plastic pollution problem.' Article content
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Urgent paracetamol warning as world's most common painkiller is linked to disease that kills 30 Brits every day
A PHARMACIST has issued a warning about the world's most used painkiller paracetamol, warning it could be "quietly harming" your liver. The pill is safe to take for headaches, muscle pain and fever, as long as you're sticking to recommended amounts. But "taking too much – even slightly exceeding the recommended dose – can be extremely dangerous for your liver", warned Dipa Kamdar, a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University. It's easy to assume that alcohol is the main culprit of liver damage. "In fact, many everyday habits, often overlooked, can slowly cause damage that may eventually lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis - permanent scarring of the liver - or liver failure," the pharmacist wrote in The Conversation. This can include eating foods high in saturated fat or sugar, as well as smoking or not exercising enough - as well as taking too much paracetamol. "Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible," Dipa said. "One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea. "As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow." Liver disease kills more than 11,000 people in the UK each year, according to The British Liver Trust. That amounts to more than 31 deaths a day, the charity said. It warned that liver disease deaths in the UK have quadrupled in the last 50 years, at the same time as deaths from other major diseases have fallen. Scientists discover that even really low doses of paracetamol could damage your heart Dipa explained paracetamol could be dangerous to the liver due to the way the organ processes the painkiller. As it breaks down the drug, it produces a toxic by-product called NAPQI. Normally, the body neutralises this by producing a protective substance known as glutathione. But in high doses, the liver can become overwhelmed, potentially leading to potentially life-threatening damage. "In an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells," Dipa warned. "This can result in acute liver failure, which can be fatal. "Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm," the pharmacist went on. "Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly." 2 Studies have looked into the potential dangers of taking paracetamol. Research published in 2013 showed a link between liver failure and low doses of paracetamol. As Andrew Moore, an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, wrote in The Conversation: "Paracetamol is known to cause liver failure in overdose, but it also causes liver failure in people taking standard doses for pain relief. "The risk is only about one in a million, but it is a risk." Other habits damaging your liver Dipa shared other habits that may be silently damaging your liver. Drinking too much alcohol is the obvious one. When you drink, your liver works to break down the alcohol and clear it from your system, but having too much of it at once overwhelms this process and causes toxic by products to build up and damage liver cells. This can cause fat to accumulate in the liver and continued drinking can progress it to alcoholic hepatitis and then cirrhosis. Experts recommend sticking to no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, and including alcohol-free days to give your liver time to recover. It's also worth taking a look at your diet to protect your liver, as foods high in saturated fat - like red meat, fried foods and processed snacks - can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to liver fat accumulation. Sugary foods and drinks are also a major risk factor, the pharmacist said. Not exercising enough can contribute to weight gain, which ups the risk of liver disease. But exercising can benefit your liver even in you don't lose weight, Dipa noted. Finally, the chemicals from cigarette smoke can make your liver work harder and contribute to cirrhosis. The British Liver Trust says 90 per cent of liver disease cases can be prevented by lifestyle changes. "You can protect [your liver] by drinking alcohol in moderation, quitting smoking, taking medications responsibly, eating a balanced diet, staying active and keeping hydrated," Dipa said.
Daily Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
Scientists are turning plastic into painkillers
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Plastic water bottles litter the roads, parks, and waterways and take forever to break down. Now researchers have figured out how to turn the waste into paracetamol. We're seeing plastic water bottles recycled into bikinis, bags, furniture, vases, art, and clothes, but now scientists have figured out how to turn waste from the rubbish into painkillers. According to CNN, more than one million bottles of water are sold every minute worldwide, and around 85 per cent end up as waste. Lead author of a paper explaining the conversion process from litter to paracetamol, Stephen Wallace, told The Guardian it 'is a way to just completely hoover up plastic waste'. How is plastic turned into paracetamol? The research team from the University of Edinburgh took a plastic used in bottles and food packaging, called polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and converted it into a new material. This was then converted into a solid called Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA), likely via a chemical reaction called a Lossen rearrangement, which would usually only occur under intense lab conditions. But the scientists found the conversion happened spontaneously when they incubated the material with a strain of E coli. But the scientists found the conversion happened spontaneously when they incubated the material with a strain of E coli. The PABA was then made into paracetamol, or acetaminophen, after the team added genes from mushrooms and soil bacteria to the E coli. They noted that PABA is usually made in other substances' cells, and is essential for bacteria to grow. But the genetically modified E coli blocked the typical pathways, so the material from the PET had to be used instead. But the analgesic is typically made from benzene, which comes from petroleum. Image: iStock The bacteria facilitated the conversion in less than 24 hours, and the researchers claimed emissions remained low. How is paracetamol usually made? Another research team from the University of Bath's Department of Chemistry and Institute for Sustainability previously managed to make both paracetamol and ibuprofen from a chemical derived from pine trees, which is also a waste product from paper manufacturing. But the analgesic is typically made from benzene, which comes from petroleum, so researchers are excited by the possibility of a more sustainable production option for the widely sold drug. We can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up plastic waste from the environment at the same Getty The team doesn't believe plastic waste will be a part of the commercial production of the painkiller for a while, but Wallace explained, 'what this technology shows is that by merging chemistry and biology in this way for the first time, we can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up plastic waste from the environment at the same time.' 'It enables, for the first time, a pathway from plastic waste to paracetamol, which is not possible using biology alone, and it's not possible using chemistry alone', the lead author added. Originally published as Scientists are turning plastic into painkillers
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
How E.coli could be used to make paracetamol
Scientists have discovered that a strain of common faecal bacteria, can convert plastic waste into the drug paracetamol. This finding could lead to innovative new recycling methods for plastic, addressing concerns about microplastics and their health impacts. The process involves 's metabolic chemicals, specifically a chemical reaction called Lossen rearrangement, which can remediate polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Researchers successfully produced paracetamol from plastic-derived molecules using with a 92 per cent yield, marking the first time this has been achieved from a waste product. This technique offers a potential general strategy for upcycling plastic waste and could pave the way for manufacturing other useful nitrogen-containing organic chemicals.
