Scientists have achieved a breakthrough by performing the Lossen rearrangement - a chemical reaction previously confined to harsh laboratory conditions - inside living E. coli bacteria[1]. The reaction, catalyzed by phosphate naturally present in cells, converts hydroxamic acids into primary amines under mild biological conditions[2].

The research team demonstrated this biocompatible chemistry by transforming polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste into para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), an essential nutrient for bacterial growth[3]. By introducing genes from mushrooms and soil bacteria, they further engineered E. coli to convert PABA into Paracetamol with 92% yield in under 24 hours[4].

“People don’t realise that paracetamol comes from oil currently,” said Professor Stephen Wallace from the University of Edinburgh. “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.”[5]

  1. Nature Chemistry - A biocompatible Lossen rearrangement in Escherichia coli ↩︎

  2. Chemistry World - Bacterium engineered to produce paracetamol from plastic bottle waste ↩︎

  3. Sci.News - Common Gut Bacterium Can Turn Everyday Plastic Waste into Paracetamol ↩︎

  4. BioEngineer - Biocompatible Lossen Rearrangement Achieved in E. coli ↩︎

  5. The Guardian - Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol ↩︎