主笔:于梅君 爱丁堡大学的科学家想:"能不能让塑料'死得其所',变成更有价值的东西?"他们通过一种被称为"洛森重 排"的化学反应,成功将废弃塑料瓶转化为常用的镇痛药——对乙酰氨基酚(即扑热息痛),转化率高达 92%。 你喝完水,随手把空塑料瓶扔进垃圾桶——它可能就此开启一场"逆袭之旅":48小时后,它或许会变成你感 冒时吃的止痛药。废弃塑料瓶变救命药,这个奇幻魔术是怎么实现的? 从"污染魔头"到"资源宝贝" 全球每年生产4.14亿吨塑料,其中42%用来做包装——比如你手里的矿泉水瓶、外卖餐盒、快递袋。这些 塑料制品的"寿命"短得可怜:平均使用12分钟,却要在地球上存在450年。 对含氯塑料进行回收升级,可获得高附加值和多功能性产品 这些塑料可能先被送到垃圾中转站,然后被运到填埋场,和腐烂的食物、废旧电池做"邻居",慢慢渗出有毒 物质污染土壤；或者被送到焚烧厂,在1000℃高温下变成灰烬,同时释放出致癌的二噁英,飘散到空气中； 就算被回收,也大多降级成低价值产品,比如做成地毯纤维或塑料长椅——这些产品用几年后,还是会变成 垃圾,继续它的"污染之旅"。 因为要让它发生反应,需要使用强酸、强碱或高温等"暴力手段", ...

Core Viewpoint - The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence linking the use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy to autism spectrum disorders [1][4]. Group 1: WHO and Regulatory Responses - WHO states that approximately 62 million people globally suffer from autism spectrum disorders, with a prevalence of 1 in 127 individuals, and the exact causes of autism remain undetermined despite increased awareness and diagnosis [1]. - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also asserts that existing evidence does not support a link between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and autism, recommending the lowest effective dose if needed [4]. - The UK Health Minister publicly criticized President Trump's comments regarding acetaminophen, urging patients to trust medical science and their doctors instead [4]. Group 2: Research Findings - A large-scale study led by epidemiologist Viktor Ahlqvist from Karolinska Institute analyzed data from nearly 2.5 million children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019, finding no significant link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism [6][7]. - The study indicated that 1.42% of children exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy were diagnosed with autism, compared to 1.33% of those not exposed, highlighting a very small difference [7]. - Another high-quality study from Japan involving over 200,000 children also concluded that there is no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism [7].

Core Insights - The research published in the journal "Nature Chemistry" reveals that E. coli can convert a molecule derived from waste plastic bottles into the painkiller acetaminophen, suggesting a sustainable method to upgrade plastic waste into useful products [1][2] Group 1: Research Findings - Plastic waste is an increasingly serious issue, and upgrading it sustainably remains a primary task [1] - The study utilized metabolic engineering to combine chemical reaction networks used in biological cells to produce desired molecules, although the effectiveness of this approach in upgrading plastic into useful products was previously unclear [1] - The research identified a chemical reaction called rearrangement catalyzed by phosphate in E. coli, which produces nitrogen-containing organic compounds essential for cell metabolism [1] Group 2: Production Efficiency - The study demonstrated that the molecule derived from plastic can serve as a starting material for producing acetaminophen in E. coli, achieving a yield of 92% [2] - The authors suggest that this research may be the first instance of generating acetaminophen from waste using E. coli, indicating potential for further exploration of other bacteria or plastics to produce useful products [2]

Group 1 - The core idea of the article is the innovative transformation of plastic waste into a valuable pain relief medication, acetaminophen, using engineered E. coli bacteria [1][3][4] - The research highlights a novel method of utilizing waste plastic, specifically PET plastic from bottles, as raw material for drug production through metabolic engineering and organic chemistry [3][4] - The process involves breaking down PET into basic molecules, which are then converted into drug precursors within the bacteria, achieving a high yield of 92% for acetaminophen [3][4] Group 2 - This research marks the first successful instance of producing pharmacologically valuable small molecules from discarded plastics within microbial systems, paving the way for advancements in resource recycling and green pharmaceuticals [4] - Future plans include exploring the potential of other types of plastics for similar transformations and identifying additional bacteria capable of such processes, as well as the possibility of producing a wider variety of drugs [4][5] - The vision is to establish "bio-factories" that utilize microorganisms to convert plastic waste into energy, pharmaceuticals, and even food, transforming discarded plastic bottles into valuable raw material "seeds" [5]