Science / Medicine : Pesticide-Eating Enzymes

An enzyme produced by bacteria found commonly in soil may offer a safe, inexpensive way to dispose of dangerous pesticides and obsolete chemical weapons, researchers at Texas A&M; University announced last week. The enzyme organophosphorus anhydrase is produced by Pseudomonas diminuta , a common form of bacteria found in soil, said biochemist James Wild and chemist Frank Raushel. “It seems to be a fairly common type of scavenging system that many bacteria have,” Wild said.

The researchers isolated the gene that the bacterium uses to produce the enzyme, modified it slightly and inserted it into a virus, which was then inserted into insect cells to produce the enzyme in large amounts. Experiments showed that the enzyme can break down insecticides such as parathion, diazinon, orthene and commaphor, which are commonly used to control fire ants, ticks and other insects.