Researchers in Australia are developing a plastic-eating microorganism resembling the pellet-eating “Pac-man,” but the former may divert plastic from our oceans and landfills instead of merely winning you the satisfaction of a game. The microorganism is an enzyme that feasts on plastic. Enzymes are complex molecules that can speed up chemical reactions. For example, human saliva contains the enzyme amylase that breaks down the complex chemicals in the food we eat into simpler ones. Prof. Colin Jackson from Australian National University (ANU) said the enzyme’s insatiable appetite for plastic can be used to tackle the world’s plastic crisis. “Plastic is a polymer made up of lots of little building blocks called monomers that are joined together with chemical bonds,” he told AAP. “The enzyme goes around sort of like Pac-Man, snipping through all those bonds.” Within an hour, a plastic bottle can be reduced to powder, ready to be remade …