Researchers discover some bacteria produce ethylene by metabolizing sulfur

In Ohio, scientists have discovered a previously unknown way that some bacteria produce the chemical ethylene – a finding that could lead to new ways to produce plastics without using fossil fuels.

The study, published in the journal Science, showed that the bacteria created ethylene gas as a byproduct of metabolizing sulfur, which they need to survive.

But the process that the bacteria use to do that could make it very valuable in manufacturing. Researchers from Ohio State worked on the study with colleagues from Colorado State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.