The idea to eliminate PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals”) via bacteria took seed in laboratories in Strasbourg (northeastern France). This involves using the enzymatic* properties of bacteria to break the chemical bond that makes PFAS so resistant to alteration, namely the carbon-fluorine bond, one of the strongest that exist. Two methods are used: culturing bacteria in the presence of PFAS in a Petri dish (photo); and using microfluidics for culture in microdroplets, which then serve as so many miniature test tubes.
*Enzyme: protein that facilitates a chemical reaction in a cell.