Question on bacteria metabolism

[travc]

There is a strain of bacteria that uses a man-made chemical as its primary (perhaps sole) carbon source. But for the life of me I can't remeber what the name of the damn thing is. Google isn't being useful for me, anyone know the bacteria or the chemical?

[RBH]

Are you referring to nylon -- several bacteria (http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/postmonth/apr04.html) evolved nylonases, enzymes that allow them to metabolize nylon.

RBH