In a scientific first, researchers have turned plastic waste into a mainstay treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). In a proof-of-concept study, researchers used engineered bacteria to convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) -- a widely used plastic found in bottles and food packaging -- into levodopa (L-DOPA).

The SCAN network, which links movement and thinking, appears to be a key brain area affected in Parkinson's disease.