Microplastics as vectors for microbial transport: experimental interaction with Escherichia coli
Luis Parmenio Suescún-Bolívar, Juan José Granada-Calderón, Wilkendry Ramos Cervantes, John Betancourt, Jesús E Diosa, Edgar Mosquera-Vargas · 2026
Read Microplastics as vectors for microbial transport: experimental interaction with Escherichia coli by Luis Parmenio Suescún-Bolívar, Juan José Granada-Calderón, Wilkendry Ramos Cervantes, John Betancourt, Jesús E Diosa, Edgar Mosquera-Vargas (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13275631.txt.
Description
Luis Parmenio Suescún-Bolívar and co-authors report a 2026 journal article on tiny plastic bits in water and the germs they may carry. The team studied recycled PET, the plastic used in drink bottles, cut into microplastics. They asked how Escherichia coli, a common gut bacterium, sticks to and changes on these plastic surfaces.
The team checked the plastic with light-based tests and microscopes before and after contact with the bacteria. The tests found nine clear chemical bands for PET, and neither cleaning nor bacteria changed the plastic much. Microscope views showed bacteria clinging to the surfaces and forming biofilms, thin layers of living cells. Colonies also fermented lactose, a milk sugar, less well. The authors propose their setup as a model for tracking how plastics move microbes in water.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Luis Parmenio Suescún-Bolívar, Juan José Granada-Calderón, Wilkendry Ramos Cervantes, John Betancourt, Jesús E Diosa, Edgar Mosquera-Vargas |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 22645 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |