 Pestalotiopsis microspora, can grow on polyurethane and use it as its sole carbon source. This was discovered by Yale students on a class research trip in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador back in 2011. The fungus,According to the Yale research team. The plain-looking light brown mushroom can live in environments with or without oxygen, breaking down and digesting polyurethane before turning it into organic matter. Another fungus, called Aspergillus tubingensis, could break down polyester polyurethane into smaller pieces after two months.Research clearly shows that these types of mushrooms can break down plastics in weeks or months, potentially producing a protein-rich food for animals, humans, or plants. With more research, mushrooms could help address our plastic pollution problems. We can envision at-home recycling kits and community recycling centers with fungi systems built in to utilize this process. It turn out that some of these mushrooms are edible ! this could be the solution for not only eradicating plastics but also eradicating world hunger ! https://www.treehugger.com/mushroom-that-eats-plastic-5121023 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pestalotiopsis_microspora https://vimeo.com/113942952 |
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