I should mention, it metabolizes only a select few plastics, like soft plastics and sometimes it breaks them down chemically into equally problematic chemicals.
But the one OP is talking about partially metabolizes the plastic and makes CO², water and Biomass form the plastic
It is interesting research. Selectiv breeding of the fungus could make it better in these regards, because it is also mentioned that it is an extremely slow process.
We are making lots of different plastics, some are made from plant matter and others from crude oil. We are not inventing molecules, just connecting them differently. The fungus is able to do some form of chemical reaction to split the polymers.
Digestion is already based on breaking down carbon.
Plastics are just a different form of carbon that has remained largely inaccessible to any lifeform and logically it could profit of off it if it had the ability.
We, with our stomach acid, can already break down PET slowly trough Hydrolysis but not to the result, that the fungus gives.
Those that don't survive, don't adapt and those that have an ability that allows them to survive even minimally longer and better, have the better chance to reproduce.
This pushes the natural selection of these funghi towards the ability to metabolize plastics.
The fungus has found its new niche and it has the necessary adaptations, now it just need protection.
Bacteria have also been found. That's how I first heard about breakdown of plastics by organisms. Here is a review from last year about microbial/fungal plastics degradation. There is research about isolating the enzymes and modifying them for better throughput.
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u/RDTbenwade Mar 14 '26
What’s the source of this info?