Plastic-degrading microbes
Subject in Life Sciences
Plastic-degrading microbes has come up in 1 episode across 1 podcast in TMT, including TED Radio Hour. 1 person has made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Anne MaddenMicrobiologist and founder and chief scientist of the Microbe Institute
Madden says scientists have already found microbes adept at breaking down even long-lasting plastics, and AI is being used to enhance their enzymes.
“scientists have already found microbes that are incredibly adept at breaking down plastics, even the plastics that seem to last forever”
TED Radio Hour: The shocking power of tiny things (Oct 9, 2026) · Listen from 12:08
Podcasts
- TED Radio Hour · 1 episode
Episodes
The shocking power of tiny thingsTED Radio Hour · Oct 9, 2026 · 50 min
Manoush Zomorodi and TED speakers Anne Madden, Lera Boroditsky, YeYoon Kim and Bart Weetjens explore how tiny things—microbes, words, moments, rats—wield outsized power.