In this episode, Severina Pociunaite chats to Dr Jo Sadler about how to view plastic as a resource, that can be turned into useful chemicals. Plastic can not only be recycled, but also upcycled: by breaking it down using biotechnology and reusing the carbon to make secondary products. What kind of plastic do microbes like best? And how can the products of digestion be manufactured into something new?
They also discuss how Dr Sadler went about setting up her own lab, including the unique challenges she faced during the start-up process.