Images of Plastic Waste in landfills and our oceans have become so commonplace. We risk becoming immune to them. But plastic is a serious problem that wont go away on its own. More and more plastic is manufactured every year. In 2018, most went to packaging 12 percent was used for consumer products. We should all reduce our plastic consumption because sooner or later it all ends up as waste. But how can we tackle all that discarded plastic . Could tiny flow part of the solution to this gigantic problem . Our reporter Chris Jon Karl that decided to find out and made a few new friends on the way these warms are doing something that we almost thought was impossible. But you know the greeting down on the cradle. By jesting, the non digestible plastic. This is how they would usually piece of styrofoam in just the week. If we could harvest their super power, we could get 3 or 4 plastic trash in weeks rather than send to reach. They could see countless animals help clean the environment and avoid toxic plastic incineration can prosecute in bags. Help solve our plastic problem. Busy they are oh, yeah, i had to say that mine that night at the molecular biologist who in 2017 made an important discovery by not cleaning water, maybe hide what they used to find. d but these warmest managed to eat their way out of the plastic bag. This is Something Interesting to grasp the importance of these discovery, we 1st need to understand what plastic is. Plastic is a mysterious material. Frankel, a science writer, author, and real plastic. In the natural world, natural substances there, you know, sort of broken up by bacteria, they go back to their essential elements. Water, plastic doesnt do that. It just gets smaller and smaller and smaller, but it still essentially lasts. Thats why micro plastics stained the environment for centuries to the plastics resistance to book a few years, a curse. But we forget that its also part of its miracle. Plastics really transformed the world. They really created our modern or a world that is safer, more colorful in the world that came before for most of our history, weve built things with stuff we found in nature. Would rocks and metals. But theres the ward, modernize there was a growing demand for properties that only scarce natural elements processed things like raisin silk or ivory limited 19th century, worrying that so many elements were being able to make billiard balls and the elements were being driven into extinction. Eventually obeah the ball manufacturer promised the rich prize to whoever could find a more abundant substitute for ivory that caught the eye of an invention. And john wesley hyatt, who spent several years tinkering in his workshop came up with the stuff. So you like the plastic age it begun operates like a visa, celebrative it with you. Right there. That it they everything the rag doll. Lovely washable microbrews really big favor a lot of life. You know, said annoyed, replaced tortoise shell. Coral and mother pearl nylon. Replaced silk and bucket like to replace the raise enough to lock be told. Its funny because in the early years, plastic was seen as sort of a salvation of nature. And today we look at it is one of the chic enemies of the natural world. Plastic is no everywhere. Some are light and transparent like plastic bags. All those are extremely resistant, like bullet proof vests what they all have in common, mr. Powers, which just basically means theyre materials that are made up repeating atomic units. And i think of them as like beads on a chair, but a plastic looks like how it feels, how it behaves. All of that demands and how the beans are going to get there. And the reason why plastic lasts so long in the environment is that nothing of all to break down to stop of bombs or a key piece. Thats what we thought they are called communal wars. And you can actually buy them online and watch them become it cute. And she feeds them with styrofoam. Its not organisms themselves. Its the bacteria, those organisms probably produce, you know, hes a, hes a professor and he knows everything about things. Its exciting times for certain places actually to those growing on the surface of to find new bugs and bacteria, they came, they just passed, they isolate their enzymes and then enhanced must produce them in bio reactors. Obviously we cant just bring some of these technology cant help with the plastic already in the environment. However, it could revolutionize our recycling system to really recycle something. You have to break it down to its basic elements so that you can rearrange them into something else. Because we cant break down plastic bonds, we can only recycle it once or twice before it becomes unusable. And deaths wifeys warms can be a game changer. If you think about bio recycling, what you can do and reuse it again. Infinitely, in fact, sounds like scifi, but its already underway. For example, a French Company named carpios is a radio using against recycled bottles like these. And not just once or twice. Infinitely, if you can increase the value of the waist high in sensitising, the market move forwards, collect the past in the 1st place, and instead of people actually getting money to consume, im still saying people will be big money to take it back over again. And we use it. So the Technology War is not scalable yet, and its still more expensive than virgin plastics. Oil and gas is really cheap. Slow down means its cheaper to make costly of oil and gas than are recycled materials. You need to get these technologies working at a much bigger scale that were currently doing now in order to make a dent, i do believe we can do not really, really need to work hard. So can my warms with their enzymes solve our plastic problem . I think its great if we can find things like, you know, meal worms that are, you know, the bacteria that while the last is really a design problem, its that we take also. d us, and were using them all too often to make things that are under necessary and serve, you know, kind of we are in a toxic relationship with plastic. We invented it to substitute it for a pail box. And now were turning to bugs to get to eat of it, and i dont think we want to live without it. I mean, you know, i like the fact that my glasses lie on my face so that im in the middle of the room. Instead, there are just things you can want to demonize Plastic Surgery on the issue is how we break it, how we use it. And here as well. My squealy friend 7 important lesson to teach us they have adapted to leave with plastic. d we should do the same. And my friend here we are. Go now on the free. Go and save the war eagle the last incidental meal worms usually used as chicken feed or fish base. Have another surprise in store. Scientists at Stanford University already knew that various forms of plastic. Now theyve established that the worms can break down the toxic additives in plastic with no ill effects. So in theory, the mealworms could die nonplastic and then still be used just animal feed. And now we turn to another industrious creature in economic terms. How many bees have always punched about their way . As pollinators and honey produces, they contribute around 2500000000. 00 euros a year to the German Economy and know not to mention their contribution to the natural world. Biologically speaking, there are 9 species of honeybee, most of them are native to asia. Probably the best known these days is the western honeybee, which has been spread by humans and can be found all over the world. And the next record will take a look at some subspecies of the western honeybee and explore how its genetic diversity could best be protected. And is getting a visit from agronomists. Here to the west of berlin. Mr. Big, this is the moment of truth. Lets see if you still find any drones in finland. Creating a works for the institute for b. Research near. Hes come here hoping to find some rare bees. A huge problem is that bee species diversity is declining dramatically. The karni on honeybee is the one we have thats most genetically diverse. But the real gem is the european darkie, which is now very rare. Mr. Skakel is one of the few people who breeds it, and thats why were here today to get samples vegan has instituted, setting up europes 1st honeybee gene database. Its given a tradition like gene banks for cattle, pigs and sheep have been around for some time. But theres been nothing of that kind of court bees anywhere in europe. Its needed because the genetic diversity of rb populations is declining fast. There are constantly new parasites as well as challenges due to climate change, that we can only meet them if our bees genetic makeup is as diverse as the challenges you have to make the database as comprehensive as possible. The scientists have been collecting samples from many b. Colonies across germany. They vary widely in terms of the properties of such as gentleness, diligence, and swarming behavior. Some types of become extremely rare. For example, the european dark until the mid 19th century, it was the most common honeybee in germany. But then it was displaced by the canio, and i may be conic up, you know, the karni omen, honey bee expanded through breeding. And it prevailed because it is also relatively gentle with a relatively low swarming tendency. So people like tim and the dark be declined. Thats gone so far that there are no more darkie colonies originally from germany. The only ones we have now, one or 2 percent of colonies are descended from ri, imports board of trade and all but the european doug b. Is alive and well in hot months. Got because high. He had his 1st beans at the age of 10. And is more interested in the colonies themselves than in how much money they yield. Skakel sees the duck be as part of germanys history order, who were there are lots of drones. So all start collecting them in the uk of vague and carefully picks out the drones in the comb. The us please leave me a couple. I have a few young queens here that i need them to mate with. This is one last drone then vega collects a few worker bees for good measure. He needs samples of drones and workers from this colony for his gene database. Another one is got out and luckily theyre being nice today that back in his lab in who are now and off starts to prepare the material for the database. 1st. He preserves the frozen work of bees and alcohol that way. He has a record of that typical shape to help distinguish the different beasts then come the drones to mail bees. Extract under the microscope. Its High Precision work. Its a routine procedure for him, but still you have to realize that the drone always dies when it is jacky lates. It would do that if it were meeting with the queen. We only do this because we really need his sperm in order to preserve his traits. For the future of bees here or elsewhere in the precious is stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196. 00 degrees celsius, a process known as cryo preservation. Later were going to examine samples of the drones frozen together with professor bean a fellow who heads the institute. The researchers want to know how good the quality of the sperm is. Once its defrosted. Look here, you can see that after its thought it was sperm cells still remain in idols. The flagella can still beat strongly and indicating that its good sperm. You could inseminated queen with it and shed be fertile. Yes, it really looks like fresh sperm looks really good. Sees europes 1st genetic database where honeybees is just the 1st step towards a larger goal. He can interfere in genetic diversity among honeybees is endangered around the world. Here in germany, they undergo a lot of selection and that decreases the genetic diversity. But globally, the situation is even more dramatic because these selected species from germany and austria are exported around the world. That means they displace the sub species that are well adapted to the local conditions. And thats why our database is so significant. It can preserve these Genetic Resources for the future. It will take time before genetic databases for honeybees can be built up across europe or worldwide. But in germany, these Research Shows a hoping to have filed away material from some 300 colonies by the end of 2021. Here and that gene, bank of b. Biodiversity. If outlet is red, white, platinum, even if you have a science question, youd like us to answer candidate. If we featured on this show, youll get a little surprise as a thank you. Come on, just ask. Youll find us on the web at d, w dot com slash science, or check us out on twitter. Any traditional components in milk include lactose, fat, protein minerals, and fishermen, mammals produce it to feed their young, to fend for themselves. For us, humans, milk remains an important source of nutrients even into adult it. That is despite estimates that 3 courses of the global population have to fickell t. Digesting lactose, but a special kind of milk could be a game changer. This milk is said to be easier to digest. Dairy farmer always has a little in his morning coffee. Its known as a 2 milk that he hopes to ensure the future of his business. Today is debuting his own 1000000 delivery service. Hows the feeling about the new venture . Well, its another step, one of several weve undertaken since 2015 to diversify away from dairy production. We have to wait and see how well its received. If we get customers, we dont know exactly what to expect. First he visits his camps to see if theyre all in good shape. Now that hes also making deliveries, hes working on a tight schedule. Is pretty standard. But ive been told cattle are not, at least not all of them. And also michelle from the outside, they all look alike, but there is a genetic difference. We havent investigated these animals yet. We still need to do a d. N. A. Test to find out which are a one and which are age 2. Its been expensive. We had to break up the herd and sell the cows that were a one, then we bred more of them from the basic stock. Thats why the price of milk went up. On the almost prices for different fruits produced milk with different proportions of the a one and a 2 variants of b. To casein guernseys have a lot of a too, as do some jerseys, and some cement historian. Surmise that selective breeding over the ages change the composition of milk into the argument goes, is the older form. Nowadays, most european cows are a one gets we have 140. 00 cows producing 6 and a half to 7000 liters of milk a year. Thats about 22. 00 leaders a day, which runs from 3, but thats only 3 quarters of the yield of a dairy cow widely found in intensive farming. But gavins cows also good meat, unlike their high performing industrial counterparts. Whether milk contains only, or mostly a one or a 2, it all looks the same, but the difference is significant. Good and known to see you. Its clear that there are different, we see it ourselves. There are people with milk intolerance who buy their milk from us and can drink it without a problem, but not the other card. And lots of foreigners buy our milk. You know, there must be Something Different about it. But of course we cant prove it scientifically. We dont have the money to do that. It sounded kind of enough to love a one and to denote 2 forms of the beta casein protein made up of 209. 00, amino acids. But there is one difference between them in a to milk, an amino acid called proline occurs in position 67. 00. Anyone. Its his duty. In addition to delivering a little kiosk where people can buy his milk, his customers seem happy. Yet to milk is great, very wholesome. For the children too. We like it a lot kind of pushed it to. Im not milk intolerant. I just feel the other kind of milk isnt is right for me. While this one is so youre not going to guess that we had visitors recently. I always have this milk at home years after one of them said he cant drink milk at all. If he does, he has to rush to the bathroom. I told him i had a 2 milk, he tried it and it was fine. So it really seems to work fine to me that id say theres one hypothesis is that it might work in the case of milk, protein intolerance, where enzymes cannot cleaved the proline in a to milk. Whereas they can cleave the histidine in a one milk. But this releases a protein fragment called b. C. M. 7, which could cause gastrointestinal problems. This doesnt apply to lactose intolerance though. Since a 2 milk also contains like toes, as well as other key components of a strong immune system. Thats especially important for calves the stuck out and wants his girls as he calls them to be as healthy as possible. Theyre fed on a diet of grass, corn and wheat before the afternoon delivery. The farmer has to process the milk and fill the bottles, which he does in his own onsite plant. Sales manager, both on our hands explains that with normal milk. This is a job usually done by the dairies. Im not with a 2 mil cause you need another step in the goods flow chains. A whole new handling path in the logistics chain and a large dairies arent ready for that. So we decided to do it ourselves. You need to be pioneering visionary. But there was immediate demand because of the approximately 800. 00 households need to buy the product for it to be profitable for his visit. Sometimes the visuals from these are for us personally. This was the only way we could get around Agricultural Policy and price dumping in the milk market. In that respect, its the only alternative by coming from and the only way they get and family can ensure their dear a farm survives. There are no scientific studies that prove a to milk is more digestible, but the market exists. You can buy it in a number of countries. Thats all for now. Thank you for joining us. For morning grossing stories about science and technology visit our website. Well be back next week with a fresh edition of tomorrow today, until then, by sustainable trouble. How does work . And what can you discover when youre away from the popular sites . Lucas studio expects up to explore agreement by bicycle, comes close to innovative green every day. Because there they have a university thats completely focused on the topic of sustainability. Tradition coming up on you. Is this art . Or is it just technologies . Artificial intelligence create art to the future. Nightmare. For the delightful dream. I as an artist are 21 in 30 minutes. W. Hole. Cutting through the noise floor i come from. People are known for being tough but fair. New york and a lot of people tell it like it, it was the call of the concrete jungle, the melting pot of the city that never sleeps. Its this energy that makes it feel like old. But amid the hustle, its important to listen and Pay Attention because its not just the loudest voices who needs to be heard. We all have a story to tell, but i see it as my job as a journalist to go beyond the obvious. Now im basing your odds, my work takes me around the world. Might get things from a mistake. To tell the important stories behind the headlines. What is the heart of the story . Why does it matter who live in paris but not to stay focused . If you work hours to cut through the noise to get to the truth, my neighbors are kelly, and i wanted to double the from the ghetto to pick up stuff against coca plants he took up despite coming from a poor family to become president. And he challenges around the incredible story starts december 10th on g. W. This is day to believe news, and these are a top stories. Perries interim president , Manuel Merino has stepped down based on a month a week into the job rather. His resignation came off the violent mass protests in the capital in which 2 people were killed or, you know, succeeded president. And this got a, he was voted out by the parliament of the corruption allegations. Germany is warning that coronavirus restrictions could continue