A hospital superbug that snacks on plastic

A dangerous hospital bacterium has evolved a surprising skill: it can digest plastic-based implants inside patients. This finding comes from a May 2025 Cell Reports study where scientists discovered a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa – a common hospital-acquired infection culprit – that literally “eats” medical plastic. In other words, some germs now treat materials like dissolvable stitches, wound dressings, or even surgical mesh as their lunch, which could let them survive longer on medical devices and cause more trouble for patients.

When plastic becomes a snack

Imagine recovering from surgery with dissolvable plastic sutures, only to find out a germ in your wound is snacking on them. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s real. Researchers in the UK isolated an enzyme (nicknamed Pap1) from a patient’s wound infection and found it lets the bacteria break down a common biodegradable plastic called polycaprolactone (PCL). PCL is used in many plastic implants and tools – from sutures and stents to drug-release patches. This P. aeruginosa strain devoured nearly 80% of a PCL sample in a week, effectively using the plastic as food. We usually expect plastic-chomping microbes in landfills, not hospitals. (Tiny organisms can definitely surprise us – even a little tick’s bite can trigger a severe meat allergy in humans!) Unfortunately, in this case the surprise is an infection risk: a pathogen turning medical implants into snacks means those devices might not last as intended, and the bacteria can hide out on them in the meantime.

Why is this scary? First, it could let these bugs persist on surfaces in hospitals or inside our bodies much longer. If a bacterium can live off a catheter or implant, it’s less likely to starve and die off between patients. That raises the chance of hospital outbreaks or deep-seated device infections.

Biofilm shields make infections tougher

Beyond just chewing on plastics, this superbug gets more dangerous when it feeds. As it digests the plastic, it produces broken-down bits that help it build a thick biofilm – a slimy protective coating. Biofilms are like shields that bacteria use to stick to surfaces and hide from antibiotics. In the study, the plastic-eating strain formed tougher biofilms on plastic than on other surfaces. This is bad news because biofilms make infections much harder to treat, often requiring stronger meds or device removal.

When a biofilm forms on an implant, antibiotics and our immune system struggle to penetrate the slime. The infection can smolder despite treatment. In lab tests, this plastic-eating P. aeruginosa became more harmful to test animals when a plastic implant was present versus when no implant was there. Essentially, having a piece of plastic to munch on turned it into a supercharged bug. P. aeruginosa is already infamous for hospital device-related infections (it’s a major cause of infected catheters and ventilator tubes) – and biofilm formation is a big reason why. Now, with a plastic-dissolving trick up its sleeve, it’s even better at bunkering down on medical devices.

Importantly, the researchers confirmed that when they knocked out the Pap1 enzyme, the bacteria could no longer digest the plastic. This tells us Pap1 is the key culprit behind this plastic feast, and it could be a target for future solutions (for example, a drug that blocks Pap1 might stop the bug from eating implants).

What it means for patients

This discovery is a wake-up call about medical device infection risks. If some bacteria can eat and weaken plastic implants or equipment, there’s a risk of devices failing or infections not clearing up. Think of stitches dissolving too soon or a heart valve implant getting colonized by bacteria that treat it like a buffet. Doctors might need to monitor implants more closely for unusual degradation or infection. Hospitals may also need to step up surveillance of their equipment and surroundings – these pathogens could be lingering on plastic surfaces much longer than expected.

The findings also push scientists to rethink the materials we use. One idea is to develop medical plastics that are harder for microbes to digest. Another is to start screening hospital bacteria for plastic-eating enzymes like Pap1, especially in cases of mysterious, persistent infections. The good news is that awareness is the first step. This was a single study, so now researchers are urgently checking if other hospital germs have similar abilities. In fact, the team already spotted hints that other pathogens carry similar plastic-degrading genes, meaning this might be the tip of the iceberg. On the bright side, as bacteria evolve, so do our defenses: scientists and innovators are racing to develop new ways to protect patients, from novel disinfectants to AI systems that help detect infections early. For instance, health tech is increasingly part of the solution – modern AI in healthcare is helping doctors spot issues earlier and respond faster.

SlothMD takeaway

Staying safe in a high-tech medical world isn’t just about breakthroughs – it’s also about staying informed. Discoveries like this plastic-eating superbug highlight how even our cutting-edge implants can face unexpected challenges. It’s a bit unsettling, but knowledge empowers us. Patients with implants or recovering from surgery should be aware (without panic) that infections might sometimes be due to factors doctors are only now uncovering. Fortunately, as scary as “plastic-eating bacteria” sounds, it also drives improvements in how we design devices and prevent infections, making healthcare safer in the long run.

And you’re not alone in navigating these concerns. SlothMD is here to support patients dealing with implant complications or tough infections every step of the way. SlothMD is an AI-powered health assistant that acts like a “super-organized friend” who can guide you through the tricky parts of healthcare – helping you track your medical information, find the right specialists, and stay on top of your care. In a world where bacteria are getting clever, tools like SlothMD help you stay one step ahead.