Researchers discover mushroom to replace fossil-based plastic (2024)

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Researchers discover mushroom to replace fossil-based plastic? ›

Lab-grown mushrooms

Pestalotiopsis microspora is a type of endophytic fungus discovered in the Amazon rainforest in 2011 which contains bacteria that can biodegrade and break down synthetic plastic polymers.

In an experiment measuring the rate at which the fungus decomposes matter, they noticed significant clearance in the plastic material after just two weeks. Pestalotiopsis microspora even cleared the plastic faster than Aspergillus niger, the fungus known for causing damaging black mold.

Mycelium is also Nature's biggest recycler. It breaks down toxins, such as plastic or oil, turning them into available nourishment to help other living organisms thrive. As it consumes organic matter and contaminating substances, mycelium branches out, quickly creating a web of thread-like filaments [hyphae].

The Marvellous Plastic-Eating Mushroom

When Yale University students found Pestalotiopsis in the rainforests of Ecuador in 2011, they discovered the first fungus that not only has a voracious appetite for plastic but can thrive in oxygen-starved environments like landfills.

Scientists have discovered a possible new tool for addressing the growing problem of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. A recently published study by an international consortium of researchers details a marine fungus called Parengyodontium album which lives on plastic litter in the ocean.

At Yale, Pria Anand '10, an alumna of the course, isolated P. microspora samples and showed that they could do something no one had seen: live and prosper on a steady diet of polyurethane alone.

Pestalotiopsis microspora is not an edible fungus. However, it has shown to be useful in degrading polyurethane.

Researchers have now found that many species are capable of plastic bioremediation including the common edible oyster mushroom. The oyster mushroom is capable of decomposing plastic while still creating an edible mushroom. This opens up doors for its use as an at-home recycling system.

In a landfill, a plastic bottle can take more than a thousand years to break down. But a new process can transform polyethylene plastic in days, using bacteria to eat the waste and then turn it into a biodegradable material inspired by spider silk.

Is mycelium cheaper than plastic? ›

Using mycelium in your product packaging can also be considered more inexpensive than polystyrene foam and other similar plastics. Since mycelium can be molded into any shape more easily, your business can reduce energy consumption while producing it in bulk.

Since the material will decompose after just a few short weeks it is not ideal for companies working and or shipping long distances. Another concern is its durability when compared to plastics like polystyrene. The lack of durability makes it less favored for uses such as holding prepared food.

Flexi Says: Mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus, is generally not dangerous to humans. However, some types of fungi can cause allergies or infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems.

The marine microbe, called Parengyodontium album was found on plastic debris floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. When scientists later isolated the fungus in a laboratory, they found it was capable of breaking down the plastic polyethylene after it had first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight.

As detailed on Phys.org, microbiologists at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, or NIOZ, discovered a new fungus called Parengyodontium album that can break down polyethylene, the most abundant type of plastic waste in our oceans.

microspora strains isolated from plant stems in the Yasuni National Forest within the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest by a group of student researchers led by molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel as part of Yale's annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory.

Some of the fungal species mentioned to degrade various types of plastic polymers include Penicillium simplicissimum (Yamada-Onodera et al., 2001), Zalerion maritimum (Paço et al., 2017), Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Sheik et al., 2015), Papiliotrema laurentii (Hung et al., 2019), Aspergillus flavus (Khan et al., 2021), ...

Ideonella sakaiensis produces an enzyme called hydrolyzing PET (or PETase). This breaks down the bonds in the polymer to form monomers. Then it absorbs the monomers to use for energy. This is similar to the way humans break down food.

Pestalotiopsis microspora is not an edible fungus. However, it has shown to be useful in degrading polyurethane.

Back in 1991, five years after the Chernobyl disaster, scientists discovered a fungal resident of the radioactive complex actually feasts on deadly radiation. Scientists believe the Cryptococcus neoformans fungus could allow humans to insulate against deadly rays.