Plastic bottles have been converted into a drug to treat Parkinson's disease using bacteria, a study has shown. It is the first time a natural, biological process has been used to turn plastic waste into a medicine for a neurological condition, potentially reducing landfill and fossil fuel use.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh engineered E. coli bacteria to transform polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly used in food and drink packaging, into L-DOPA (levodopa), the gold-standard medication for Parkinson's. The drug helps produce dopamine in the brain, alleviating motor symptoms such as tremors and stiffness.
About 166,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson's, and most are prescribed L-DOPA. Traditional pharmaceutical production relies on fossil fuels, but this method uses plastic waste, making it more sustainable. The study, published in Nature Sustainability, involved breaking down PET into terephthalic acid, which the bacteria then converted into L-DOPA through a series of biological reactions.
Dr Liz Fletcher, deputy chief executive at the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, said: 'Turning plastic bottles into a Parkinson’s drug isn’t just a creative recycling idea, it’s a way of redesigning processes that work with nature to deliver real-world benefits.'
Professor Stephen Wallace, who led the study, added: 'Plastic waste is often seen as an environmental problem, but it also represents a vast, untapped source of carbon. By engineering biology to transform plastic into an essential medicine, we show how waste materials can be reimagined as valuable resources that support human health.'
The team previously used E. coli to make paracetamol from plastic in June 2025. Further research is needed to scale up production, but researchers believe the approach could be applied to flavourings, fragrances, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals.
