Breaking launches with plastic-eating microbe

Breaking, which intends to develop a plastic-eating microbe discovered at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, has emerged from stealth with $10.5 million in seed funding. Founders of Breaking include Donald Ingber, who is also a founding director of the Wyss Institute; Harvard geneticist George Church; and Sukanya Punthambaker, Breaking’s CEO. Breaking claims that the microbe, X-32, can break down polyolefins, polyesters, and nylons, yielding only water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. The company says it has been able to break down 90% of certain plastic samples in 22 months.