Plastic is the most prevalent marine pollutant, and plastic surfaces are the fastest growing habitat in the ocean. Researchers at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa have recently discovered that many species of fungi isolated from Hawai'i's nearshore environment have the ability to degrade plastic, and some can be conditioned to do it faster.
    • Dogyote@slrpnk.net
      2·
      2 days ago

      How do we prevent it spreading to plastic we don’t want decomposing?

      This would be such an interesting development, like something from a sci-fi novel. Can we engineer something to eat oil, gasoline perhaps? That’d be wild.

    • solo@slrpnk.netOPMEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      What byproducts are there?

      I’m not aware of any. In relation to plastic degradation, typically the fungi break down the chemical bonds of the molecules with the help of enzymes.

      How do we prevent it spreading to plastic we don’t want decomposing?

      I remember one research from europe (I can’t find it for some reason) that they were collecting the plastic first and then in a controlled environment they introduced the plastic-eating fungus. It’s not that the scientists just threw the fungi in the ocean.