Can fungi and bacteria ‘eat’ plastic?

An international collaboration between Chinese scientists and researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England may have found an answer to the rising tide of plastic pollution. A total of 184 fungal and 55 bacterial strains capable of breaking down polycaprolactone (a polymer used in plastic production) have been identified in the coastal salt marshes of Jiangsu, China. Some of the bacterial strains also have the potential to further degrade other petroleum-based polymers. Emma Keeling learns more from Professor Cai Feng who is leading the research in China, as well as Dr Irinia Druzhinia at Kew Gardens.

[@Ultrajamz]

Hopefully it “fully” eats it and doesn’t just release more toxic chemicals rapidly into the water table.

[@Ely-zf4yt]

From what I understand the fungi and bacteria actually produce enzymes that break down the chemical on a molecular level. So I believe they are not just creating microplastics but they are actually metabolizing the plastic turning it back into organic compounds. But I'm not an expert so take that with a grain of salt.

[@oknice435]

This is absolutely amazing work! A sense of hope is growing in me! I hope to one day contribute to improvement like this!

[@ABunnik]

Well done to all of you that are dedicated to this work - our earth has hope because of you ❤

[@sub-harmonik]

just don't eat my computer

[@kitmartin8590]

This work is fascinating and absolutely necessary. Fungi will save the world, I'm grateful to the scientists doing this work. I appreciate how they approached large scale plastic disposal as an enzyme-exclusive process, taking the organism and it's genetic makeup out of the equation entirely.

[@DeathsGarden-oz9gg]

Sounds good but the best thing we can do is stop single use plastics the only plastics we need are important ones like seals for an engine or making something air tight for space. You know only important things should be made not unimportant things like a bag or a bottle or a toy my clothes shouldn't have any in there. Yes i understand plastics makes clothes more flexible but theres natural fibers that can do the same but not quite as good of course i mean when plastics can stretch like 300% more then its original then ya but there are natural fibers that can get 30 to 8l to 40% so not much at all but im not a big nerd so im sure there better ones out there.

[@vivekalathur9260]

I started to isolate plastic degrading organisms from thrown out plastic in different environmental condetions before 20 years and stopped the studies because of lack of funds, as I was doing it for our mother nature I used almost 90 percent of my salary and I sold my ancestral property to set up lab facility in my own home , but as it need long time of research. My research end up in great lose which i was not able to bear it my own and become miserable then stopped the work and I lost everithing, my lab , properties etc☹️

[@stevenkellysillick4042]

I think I might have some living on the siding of the house I live in

[@terenceiutzi4003]

They have been eating plastic for 300,000,000 years !

[@squizitzithatsitalianforyu4782]

Doesn’t acetone degrade plastic?

[@1964_AMU]

yes, it makes holes... Acetone is used to remove plastic varnish on furniture.

[@ritac9769]

Acetone will dissolve/solubilize some plastics, like polystyrene. Dissolving plastic doesn't break it down. The long polymer chains are still intact, but acetone interrupts interactions between chains that make a plastic "solid". Once the acetone evaporates off, the polymer chains can interact with one another again and solidify, and you are left with a big amorphous blob of plastic. Try dissolving styrofoam in nail polish remover to see what I mean!

[@squizitzithatsitalianforyu4782]

@@ritac9769 that’s fascinating! Wow thanks for sharing your knowledge with us as we learn more about plastic and plastic waste! 😉I wonder if you have any tips for plastic waste management? Thanks professor riac9769 🤓 Squizitzi! That’s Italian for yummy 😋

[@squizitzithatsitalianforyu4782]

@@1964_AMU 😳😳🫠🫠🫠😬

[@ritac9769]

@@squizitzithatsitalianforyu4782 Im by no means an expert in polymer science (I'm a biochemist), but I think we are a bit beyond recycling being the only way out of plastic pollution. However, I do believe that letting companies know you want them to change is very important. The technology already exists to cease all plastic production and make everything sustainable, but it's too expensive to implement in most cases. Companies need the financial motivation to change, and their customers have an influence on that motivation!

[@1964_AMU]

The real questions are : do the fungi degrade plastic molecules to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and water ? Or do they produce micro-plastics that later will migrate into soils and waters ? Can this process produce hydrocarbons ??

[@vivekalathur9260]

Yes it should degrade it in to its molicular level , then only the reserch become complete 👍

[@crazyjay6331]

Okay so first you burn the plastic a little bit and then you add the correct fungi or bacteria to break down each type, do we really need to bother genetically engineering them and then collect the enzymes? Kinda seems like someone just wants to sell a product... Fungi and bacteria evolve pretty quickly so we could probably just rely on selective breeding.

[@icedteacatfish]

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