Elise Hu

I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

Thanks for listening.

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark your curiosity every day.

I'm your host, Elise Hu.

Today's talk is part of our new TED Fellows Films, adapted for podcasts just for our TED Talks Daily listeners.

This is part of a special series of episodes we release throughout the year, showcasing the incredible stories behind the TED Fellows program, which supports a network of global innovators.

Today, we'd like you to meet biotechnologist Patricia Aima Maldonado.

Patricia is a self-described bacteria trainer who thinks that these tiny microorganisms that are impossible to see with the naked eye are actually Earth's greatest superheroes.

She presents a groundbreaking technology that trains bacteria to transform organic waste into biodegradable plastic that behaves like the real thing and digs into why this sustainable approach could revolutionize the plastics industry.

After we hear from Patricia, stick around for her conversation with TED Fellows Program Director Lily James-Olds.

Up next, a special conversation between Patricia and TED Fellows program director Lily James Olds, where they discuss what led Patricia to her love of microorganisms and how the technology she developed actually works, her team's plans to scale it, and more.

That was Patricia Aima Maldonado, a 2025 TED Fellow.

To learn more about the TED Fellows program and watch all the TED Fellows films, go to fellows.ted.com.

And that's it for today.

TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective.

Our team includes Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, and Tansika Sangmarnivong.

Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Balarezo.

I'm Elise Hu.

I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

Thanks for listening.