Scientists discover plastic-eating fungus

A newly discovered fungus may hold the key to finally breaking down plastics that pose a potential threat to the environment, a tech site reported over the weekend. PC World said researchers at Yale University claimed Pestalotiopsis microspore may be the first fungus species that exclusively subsists on polyurethane. The report quoted the Yale scientists as saying the fungus that naturally eats polyurethane was found in the Amazonian rainforest. Better yet, it said the fungus can also grow in an anaerobic (airless) environment, “which will hopefully allow it to take root in the deepest regions of our trash heaps.” PC World said Yale scientist Jonathan Russell managed to isolate an enzyme the fungus uses to decompose plastic. The scientists hope to use the extracted chemical to eliminate plastic trash and to help in bioremediation projects. Plastic is used in a wide range of products including toys, car parts, computer parts, smartphones, and shopping bags. But polyurethane is not biodegradable, even as recycling plastic may only turn it into another product centuries to come. — LBG/TJD, GMA News