It’s another rainy Sunday, but John decided to go for a walk nonetheless. He’s been very exhausted
from the past months. And still he felt guilty for leaving the house right now, to escape reality for a
bit. But then again, he knew he couldn’t escape reality with his daughter lying sick at home at the
edge of death. He started feeling the anger rise inside him. How could people who had realized the
threat of microplastics years ago ignore this issue? Considering that the analysis of microplastics has
become very easy and effective in recent years, it is already too late for going after the same
approach that was not supported years ago. An approach that could have saved his daughter from
suffering now if it had been fully developed and improved. Developing a microplastics degrading
filtering unit was too expensive, they said. Look at them now, having to pay millions of dollars to
develop huge filtering units for the seas. They already have no more time to develop a microplastics
degrading machine which would be cost effective. This also means that only the rich can afford such
a technology while the poor will be left behind again.
It is terrible that is has come as far as microplastics being present everywhere in the seas and that
pathogenic bacteria have made microplastics their living substrate. They spread through
microplastics and build up resistances against antibiotics. Being attached to these particles, the
pathogenic bacteria are taken up by human beings. Just like his daughter took these bacteria up. Just
another case of death caused by pathogenic bacteria on microplastics. Just another mistake
manhood has made by ignoring potential threats. And now he is paying the price for it by losing his
daughter.
He just couldn’t believe that this is happening right now. And scientists still haven’t found an
antibiotic for these bacteria. Bacteria that should have never been present in the first place.
How many times has it crossed his mind to just go steal some of the products that were developed in
a rush and are just too expensive for him to afford? He didn’t want to lose another family member
and by doing that he could offer some more protection. This situation is driving him into the darkest
times of his life and he just didn’t want to accept that he is desperate enough to even consider
stealing. But these are human lives we are talking about, you know? And then again, he knew solving
this problem won’t be solving other problems.
Passing by a bus stop he saw a poster about a very successful campaign that has started a few
months ago. He just couldn’t be enthusiastic about it. iGEM Berlin had hosted many social events
that offered platforms for discussions about environmental pollutions, especially about plastic
pollution. Social awareness was risen, which eventually lead to that campaign. Many producers
started to relinquish the usage of plastics in their products leading to a decreased amount of
microplastics that got into the seas. This didn’t change a thing about what has already been there
and still is there, though. Also these producers probably use some other components like nano
particles which are also problematic. A doom loop that will never find its ending. Solving one
problem will lead to another problem.
He suddenly turned on his heel desperately wanting to spend every second with his daughter now.
What could he do besides being by her side? He knew that thinking about the past wouldn’t change a
thing about what is happening right now. He knew he had to adjust to the situation he was forced
into. He knew all of that.. but he just couldn’t help it.
Jenny was sitting at home watching TV after a long work day. She was watching a documentation
about biohackers on TV. Some kind of research student group apparently tried solving the plastics
issue. “Pff.. These kids seriously think they can save the world by developing such a funny thing”, she
murmured.
This group called iGEM had developed a molecular machine they called Enzymatic Flagellulose. It’s
supposed to degrade plastic particles into biodegradable compounds. Jenny as a biotechnologist
could think of a list of cons regarding this technology. First of all, they use cellulose as a carrier
material which can be used as substrate by many bacteria. Cellulose might become a new part of the
food chain if it is prevailing through the usage of this technology all over the world, leading to the
destruction of their product and into a further spread of bacteria which might be important if these
bacteria are pathogenic and resistant. Also, she couldn’t think that people would actually use such a
thing at home since she knows that they just have too few knowledge in this field to actually see the
good thing about a bacterial sieve. They see all bacteria as a threat to them. Therefore, she can
imagine people saying that this product was very disgusting and that they would never use such a
thing at home. Furthermore, Jenny was skeptical about the technical limitations of this product. The
enzymes need to function even under very harsh conditions, which is not given since they will be
destroyed by detergents and the like. People would surely not buy a new sieve every few days
especially since they will be more expensive than a boringly normal sieve for sure.
Still, these students were very positive about their product, though admitting that they still have to
optimize and develop it until it could be commercialized. They believe that they can build an
international project getting more than one iGEM team from all over the world to work on this idea
until they get some evaluable results and get closer to the market.
Well, what could Jenny say? It’s not like she isn’t concerned about the microplasitcs issue or rather
the plastics issue in general. But she has just given up the fight somehow since manhood just can’t
keep their hands off of environmentally harmful things.
