The brilliance of bacteria (and how they combat waste) | Patricia Aymà Maldonado episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 16, 2026 · 26 MIN

The brilliance of bacteria (and how they combat waste) | Patricia Aymà Maldonado

from TED Talks Daily

Bacteria are the most incredible creatures on Earth, says biotechnologist and TED Fellow Patricia Aymà Maldonado. She presents a groundbreaking technology that “trains” bacteria to transform organic waste into biodegradable plastic that behaves like the real thing. Learn how this creative, sustainable approach could revolutionize the plastics industry.Following the talk, Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, interviews Maldonado on what it's like to make 100% biodegradable plastic at the tech company she co-founded, VEnvirotech, why the current recycling system actually increases plastic use, what other biotechnology companies can do to quickly scale for sustainability, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The brilliance of bacteria (and how they combat waste) | Patricia Aymà Maldonado

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