Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

The Wallace Lab is expanding in 2026, with five new Postdoctoral Research Associate positions now open. If you're passionate about engineering biology for sustainability, we'd love to hear from you! 🧬 ♻️

Deadline: 12th November 2025, details below ⬇️

1 5 4

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

Positions 4 & 5: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPD673/p...

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Engineering Biology and Bioprocess Scale-Up at The University of Edinburgh

An opportunity for an academic position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Engineering Biology and Bioprocess Scale-Up is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other acade...

www.jobs.ac.uk

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

Position 3: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPD718/p...

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Bio-Upcycling at The University of Edinburgh

Discover Postdoctoral Research Associate in Bio-Upcycling jobs and more in higher education on jobs.ac.uk. Apply for further details on the top job board.

www.jobs.ac.uk

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

Positions 1 & 2: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPD689/p...

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Engineering Biology for Bio-Upcycling Plastic Waste at The University of Edinburgh

Explore an exciting academic career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Engineering Biology for Bio-Upcycling Plastic Waste. Don't miss out on other academic jobs. Click to apply and explore more ...

www.jobs.ac.uk

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

These roles offer a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with leading UK and international research teams, engage with over 50 industry partners, and help drive the transition to a circular, bio-based chemical future. Check out the adverts below, or get in touch with Stephen directly ⬇️

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

⚙️ Bioprocess scale-up in waste-to-chemical microbial systems, spanning diverse waste streams, microbial chassis, and bioreactor designs - driving industrial translation within the C-Loop Sustainable Manufacturing Hub [2 positions].

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

Our open positions focus on:

🧬 Biological upcycling of plastic waste into sustainable industrial chemicals for applications in healthcare, nutrition, and materials - as part of the P3EB Mission Hub and CIRCBIONET UK-Singapore consortium [3 positions].

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · 13d

The Wallace Lab is expanding in 2026, with five new Postdoctoral Research Associate positions now open. If you're passionate about engineering biology for sustainability, we'd love to hear from you! 🧬 ♻️

Deadline: 12th November 2025, details below ⬇️

1 5 4

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

MIT Technology Review @technologyreview.com · Sep 29

The new edition of our annual list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch will feature startups and established businesses working to decarbonize transportation, heavy industry, energy, and more.

Coming soon: Our 2025 list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch

The new edition of our annual list features startups and established businesses working to decarbonize transportation, heavy industry, energy, and more.

www.technologyreview.com

4 15

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

#biotechnology #plasticupcycling #circulareconomy #sustainability #engineeringbiology #greenchemistry
@edinburghbiology.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @edinburghchem.bsky.social @edinnovations.bsky.social @ukri.org

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

Media🚨: www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol

Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles

www.theguardian.com

1 1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

Edinburgh press release📣: www.ed.ac.uk/news/microbe...

Microbes transform plastic waste into paracetamol | News | The University of Edinburgh

Paracetamol production could be revolutionised by the discovery that a common bacterium can turn everyday plastic waste into the painkiller, a study reveals.

www.ed.ac.uk

1 1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

News&Views🔍: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New-to-nature biocompatible chemistry for plastic waste upcycling - Nature Chemistry

Synthetic and biological chemistry are traditionally seen as separate fields. Now, a biocompatible chemical reaction enables an engineered microbe to convert plastic waste into valuable compounds unde...

www.nature.com

1 1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

Links below to the News & Views (thanks Matthew Chang and colleagues!), and The Guardian article. (4/n)

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

This represents something powerful: a hybrid metabolic pathway that neither biology nor chemistry could achieve alone.

Beyond advancing circular and sustainable chemical manufacturing, we hope this sparks new directions at the interface of chemical and biological synthesis. (3/n)

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

We discovered that phosphate inside living cells catalyses a biocompatible Lossen rearrangement - a classic chemical reaction never before seen in nature. Add a few enzymes using engineering biology, and the result: paracetamol 💊 from plastic waste🗑️ (2/n).

1

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

Ever wondered where your paracetamol comes from? Spoiler: crude oil. In this study – led by Nick Johnson from our lab in collaboration with @astra-zeneca.bsky.social – we show how biology and chemistry can work together to create a more sustainable alternative. (1/n)

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A biocompatible Lossen rearrangement in Escherichia coli - Nature Chemistry

Biocompatible chemistry merges chemo-catalytic reactions with cellular metabolism for sustainable small-molecule synthesis. Now a biocompatible Lossen rearrangement has been demonstrated to control ba...

www.nature.com

1 3 4

The Wallace Lab @swallacelab.bsky.social · Sep 23

🚀 Our new lab website is live! Visit wallacelab.bio to learn more about our team, our mission, and our latest work. Most importantly, get in touch to explore opportunities to connect and collaborate.

The future of chemistry is microbial.

2

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

Johnston Lab @johnstonlab.bsky.social · Aug 19

Great news – this paper has now been published in ACS Catalysis! Huge congratulations again to Wylan (@chaoticmetazoan.bsky.social), and thanks to our collaborators in the Wallace Lab (@swallacelab.bsky.social)
Check it out here: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

3 6

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

Tom Ellis @proftomellis.bsky.social · Jun 24

From the same team that made vanilla for ice cream using E.coli that digest plastic waste.

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Jun 23

This is wild!
Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

5 18

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

Nature Chemistry @natchem.nature.com · Jun 24

Prof. Stephen Wallace: “What this technology shows is that by merging chemistry and biology in this way for the first time, we can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up plastic waste from the environment at the same time.” www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol

Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles

www.theguardian.com

1 9 32

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Jun 23

This is wild!
Engineering E. coli bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol (Tylenol)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

17 180 620

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

Edinburgh Innovations @edinnovations.bsky.social · Jun 24

Scientists at @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social have succeeded in turning plastic bottles into paracetamol, a study in Nature Chemistry shows. ➡️ edinburgh-innovations.ed.ac.uk/news/microbe...

1 2 1

Reposted by The Wallace Lab

John Steele @jfcsteele.bsky.social · Jun 23

Always exciting when research from the lab is disseminated for the public! @theguardian.com have reported on @swallacelab.bsky.social paper turning plastic into paracetamol using engineered bacteria
tinyurl.com/32hxnwsd (original publication rdcu.be/esYfF)

Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into paracetamol

Genetically modified E coli used to create painkillers from material produced from plastic bottles

www.theguardian.com

3 5