Hospital superbug can feed on medical plastic, first-of-its-kind study reveals
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
A superbug that commonly causes infections in hospitals can feed on plastic used for medical interventions, potentially making it even more dangerous, a world-first study has found.
The bug is a bacteria species called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is commonly found in hospital environments and can cause potentially deadly infections in the lungs, urinary tract and blood.
Now, scientists have analyzed a strain of this bacteria from a hospital patient's wound, which revealed a surprising trick that could enable it to persist on surfaces and in patients for longer — its ability to break down the biodegradable plastics used in stints, sutures and implants. The researchers published their findings May 7 in the journal Cell Reports.
"It means we need to reconsider how pathogens exist in the hospital environment," study lead author Ronan McCarthy, a professor in biomedical sciences at Brunel University of London, said in a statement. "Plastics, including plastic surfaces, could potentially be food for these bacteria. Pathogens with this ability could survive for longer in the hospital environment. It also means that any medical device or treatment that contains plastic could be susceptible to degradation by bacteria."
The team's laboratory study raises the need for further research to better understand how this plastic-eating ability affects the bug in realistic hospital environments, in which specific cleaning protocols are in place to help prevent exposing patients and medical instruments to bacteria.
P. aeruginosa is thought to have rapidly evolved over the last 200 years to infect humans as they began living in densely populated areas, especially among those with weakened lungs due to air pollution.
Related: Dangerous 'superbugs' are a growing threat, and antibiotics can't stop their rise. What can?
Since then, many strains of the bug have acquired resistance to a wide variety of antibiotics. These resistant microbes can contaminate catheters and ventilation devices, making P. aeruginosa a common cause of hospital-acquired infections, especially among vulnerable patients. P. aeruginosa is tied to roughly 559,000 deaths per year globally, the majority of which are associated with antimicrobial resistance.
Yet how the bacteria can thrive in ostensibly sterile hospital environments has remained unclear.
To investigate, the researchers took a swab from a patient's wound in a British hospital and analyzed it, which revealed the bug can make an enzyme named Pap1. This enzyme is able to break down the plastic polycaprolactone (PCL) — commonly used in sutures, wound dressings, surgical meshes and other medical equipment — and release the plastic's carbon, which P. aeruginosa can then feed on.
To test whether this enzyme is really responsible for breaking down plastic, the scientists inserted the gene that codes for Pap1 into Escherichia coli bacteria, and found that when that bacteria expressed the enzyme, it too was able to break down PCL. The team further confirmed the enzyme's plastic-eating role when they deleted the gene that codes for it in a P. aeruginosa variant, finding that the microbe was no longer able to dissolve the plastic.
RELATED STORIES
—How fast can antibiotic resistance evolve?
—AI could identify the next superbug-fighting drug
—Scientists have found a secret 'switch' that lets bacteria resist antibiotics — and it's been evading lab tests for decades
The bug's plastic-chewing power doesn't just seem to be granting it a food source: It is also making it more dangerously resistant to treatment. This is because the bacteria uses plastic fragments to form hardier biofilms — structures with protective coatings that shield superbugs from antibiotics — the researchers found.
The scientists also identified similar enzymes in other bacteria, meaning that other widely used medical plastics could be providing sustenance and improved resilience to additional superbugs, possibly contributing to hospital-acquired infections.
To follow up on this, the researchers have called for urgent research on the prevalence of the plastic-eating enzymes among other pathogens, and for experts to reconsider the plastics they use in medical settings, and the ways that they monitor hospital environments.
"Plastic is everywhere in modern medicine, and it turns out some pathogens have adapted to degrade it," McCarthy said. "We need to understand the impact this has on patient safety."
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Benchmark Data for Dealmakers - Access Deal Records of Actual Deals As Disclosed by the Deal Parties
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 23, 2025-- The 'Precision Medicine Collaboration and Licensing Deals 2019-2025" has been added to offering. This report contains a comprehensive listing of 1,221 precision medicine deals announced since 2019, including financial terms where available, and links to online deal records of actual precision medicine partnering deals as disclosed by the deal parties. In addition, where available, records include contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their partners. Precision Medicine Collaboration and Licensing Deals provides a comprehensive understanding and unprecedented access to the precision medicine deals entered into by the world's leading biopharma companies. Fully revised and updated, the report provides details of precision medicine deals from 2019 to 2025. The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter precision medicine deals. These deals tend to be multicomponent, starting with collaborative R&D, and commercialization of outcomes. The report includes collaboration, development, research, and licensing deals. The initial chapters of the report offer an overview of precision medicine dealmaking. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction, while Chapter 2 outlines the trends in precision medicine dealmaking since 2019. Chapter 3 highlights leading precision medicine deals by headline value, and Chapter 4 lists the top 25 most active companies with summaries and listings of deals. Chapters 5 and 6 provide detailed reviews of deals announced since Jan 2019, organized by contractor availability and technology focus respectively. Precision Medicine Collaboration and Licensing Deals provides the reader with the following key benefits: Precision Medicine Collaboration and Licensing Deals includes: Analyzing contract agreements allows due diligence of: Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Chapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Trends in precision medicine dealmaking 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Precision medicine deals over the years 2.3. Most active precision medicine dealmakers 2.4. Precision medicine deals by deal type 2.5. Precision medicine deals by therapy area 2.6. Precision medicine deals by industry sector 2.7. Deal terms for precision medicine deals 2.7.1 Precision medicine deals headline values 2.7.2 Precision medicine deal upfront payments 2.7.3 Precision medicine deal milestone payments 2.7.4 Precision medicine royalty rates Chapter 3 - Leading precision medicine deals 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Top precision medicine deals by value Chapter 4 - Most active precision medicine dealmakers 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Most active precision medicine dealmakers 4.3. Most active precision medicine deals company profiles Chapter 5 - Precision medicine contracts dealmaking directory 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Precision medicine contracts dealmaking directory Chapter 6 - Precision medicine dealmaking by technology type Deal directory Companies Featured For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. View source version on CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY GENERAL HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL HEALTH SOURCE: Research and Markets Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/23/2025 01:09 PM/DISC: 06/23/2025 01:08 PM
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
First look inside new gym in north Norfolk
A new gym is opening in north Norfolk this week. With five years of experience as a personal trainer, Josh Willis and sports coach Hannah Carter are opening Carter's Gym in North Walsham on Saturday. The pair saw a "gap in the market" for weight space gyms in the area that are not bodybuilding-focused. The gym is located in Unit 16 in Robertson House (Image: Denise Bradley) The new space hopes to target those who lack confidence surrounding the use of weights. "I have a good clientele at the moment who will be joining me over here and I will continue to offer friendly service to help build people's confidence," Mr Willis said. 'We have received a really good response so far and now it is finally kicking in, the excitement is building." The gym specialises in weight training (Image: Denise Bradley) Gym goers can expect a range of weight equipment as well as cardio machines. Personal training sessions and small group classes limited to eight people to ensure "a more personalised experience" will also be on offer. "With it just being the two of us at the moment, we are a gym for our members,' Ms Carter added. Gymgoers will be able to try out the new equipment for free from 10am to 4pm on opening day (Image: Denise Bradley) "We will act on our members' feedback as we want to show them that their money is being put back into the gym." Carter's Gym is located in Unit 16 Robertson House in Laundry Loke. A monthly direct debit membership is on offer for £28.99, small group training sessions for members cost £6 and personal training is £30 an hour. Personal trainer Josh will be bringing his expertise to the new space (Image: Denise Bradley) Gymgoers will be able to try out the new equipment for free by attending the opening between 10am and 4pm on Saturday. Those who attend will be entered into a free raffle to win prizes, including a month's membership.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Royal Sources Claim Kate Middleton Will "Dramatically Scale Back" Her Responsibilities After "Wake-Up Call" Over Skipping Royal Ascot
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On June 18, Kate Middleton suddenly canceled a planned appearance at Royal Ascot, with sources claiming the Princess of Wales was "disappointed" to miss the event. Royal experts suggested Prince William would "feel the void" at Royal Ascot without his wife, but royal aides subsequently claimed that Kate's absence was "no cause for alarm." Now, the Daily Beast is reporting that Princess Kate's decision to skip Ascot was indicative of more serious issues. "The last few years have been horrific," a former Royal Family staff member told the outlet. "[T]he relentless speculation about her and William, Queen [Elizabeth]'s death, The King's diagnosis which had them both thinking they were going to have to take over and then her own cancer diagnosis and treatment." Unsurprisingly, the challenges Princess Kate has been dealing with have "taken [their] toll." Luckily, the Prince of Wales is standing by to "fight tooth and nail to see she is given" extra "time to recover," should she need it, per the former staff member. The former royal staff member elaborated, telling the Daily Beast, "Kate is recalibrating her entire life, her entire work-life balance. Wednesday was a wake-up call, not a one-off. She has never found the public appearances, and the forensic attention and criticism that goes with them, at all easy to deal with, and it was just too much this week." As a result of Kate's Royal Ascot cancellation, and the ensuing public reaction, experts believe the Princess of Wales will retreat from public life, to some extent. According to the Daily Beast, royal sources told the outlet "they expected Kate to dramatically scale back her public appearances for the rest of the year and instead increase her online and digital footprint, remotely supporting causes close to her heart." Essentially, Kate's health, following her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment, is more important than anything else. "Kate will take it much easier for the rest of the year," one source alleged to the outlet. "I'd be surprised if you see her more than three times in the next three months."
