The Hidden Feeders: Animals and Nature's Original Bioplastic The latest discovery from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology has sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
Researchers have long assumed that microorganisms held a monopoly on breaking down microbial bioplastics called PHAs, but it turns out that animals have been feeding on nature's original bioplastic for hundreds of millions of years.
The research, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, reveals that dozens of animal species possess enzymes capable of degrading microbial PHAs.