Pestalotiopsis microspora - Fungi that eats plastic
Dear all, You may know that plastic is processed from petroleum, and is commonly cited as an ecological problem due to its non-biodegradability. Interestingly enough, a fungus - Pestalotiopsis microspora - has been discovered in the Amazon forest by a research team from Yale University, that appears to eat plastic in airless landfills. Fast Company, in its Co-Exist blog, writes: The group of students, part of Yale’s annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory with molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel, ventured to the jungles of Ecuador. The mission was to allow "students to experience the scientific inquiry process in a comprehensive and creative way." The group searched for plants, and then cultured the microorganisms within the plant tissue. As it turns out, they brought back a fungus new to science with a voracious appetite for a global waste problem: polyurethane. The common plastic is used for everything from garden hoses to shoes and truck seats. Once...