In a world increasingly burdened by both plastic waste and carbon emissions, scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a breakthrough method that could change how we produce everyday medicines. Instead of relying on crude oil and energy-intensive chemical processes, researchers have found a way to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen)—using nothing more than genetically engineered bacteria.
Traditionally, paracetamol is manufactured from fossil fuel-derived compounds. The production process burns through vast amounts of crude oil, contributing heavily to global carbon emissions. Each year, thousands of tons of fossil fuels are consumed to manufacture medicines like paracetamol, generating significant environmental costs.
The new process, developed by the Wallace Lab at Edinburgh, uses a harmless strain of E. coli to convert waste plastic into pain relief medication. At the heart of the innovation is terephthalic acid, a chemical found in polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—the plastic commonly used in drink bottles and food packaging.
By genetically modifying the E. coli, the researchers enabled the bacteria to turn this compound into PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), a molecule typically used by bacteria in DNA synthesis. But rather than follow their normal metabolic route, the engineered bacteria were forced to rely on the PET-based chemical as their starting point. This rerouting led to a chemical reaction known as a Lossen rearrangement, previously unseen in living organisms, which occurred spontaneously inside the cells under mild conditions.
Using a fermentation process not unlike beer brewing, the PET plastic was broken down, and in less than 24 hours, 90% of the resulting chemical mixture was found to be pure paracetamol. The researchers then inserted two additional genes—one from a mushroom, the other from a soil bacterium—allowing the E. coli to complete the final steps in the transformation from plastic waste to medicine.
Not only does the process run at room temperature and produce minimal carbon emissions, but it also opens the door to rethinking the fate of PET plastics, more than 350 million tons of which are discarded globally each year. While PET is technically recyclable, most current methods degrade the material into forms that are eventually discarded again. This biological pathway, in contrast, repurposes plastic into high-value, essential chemicals.
This innovation could mark a turning point in both pharmaceutical manufacturing and plastic waste management, blending biology and chemistry to forge cleaner, circular systems. The researchers believe the approach has the potential to create low-cost, low-emission alternatives to fossil-fuel-based drug production, while simultaneously tackling the mounting plastic crisis.
Although further development is needed before the method is ready for commercial use, the early results show strong promise. The work illustrates how synthetic biology can disrupt long-standing industrial practices and reimagine waste as a valuable resource.
This breakthrough may be one of the first steps toward a future where everyday medications are brewed from plastic bottles instead of refined from oil—offering a more sustainable and less polluting way to meet global healthcare needs.
By Impact Lab