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About Plastics. Biodegradation of Polyester Polyurethane by Endophytic Fungi. + Author Affiliations Bioremediation is an important approach to waste reduction that relies on biological processes to break down a variety of pollutants.

Biodegradation of Polyester Polyurethane by Endophytic Fungi

This is made possible by the vast metabolic diversity of the microbial world. To explore this diversity for the breakdown of plastic, we screened several dozen endophytic fungi for their ability to degrade the synthetic polymer polyester polyurethane (PUR). Several organisms demonstrated the ability to efficiently degrade PUR in both solid and liquid suspensions. Particularly robust activity was observed among several isolates in the genus Pestalotiopsis, although it was not a universal feature of this genus. Fungi Discovered In The Amazon Will Eat Your Plastic. The Amazon is home to more species than almost anywhere else on earth.

Fungi Discovered In The Amazon Will Eat Your Plastic

One of them, carried home recently by a group from Yale University, appears to be quite happy eating plastic in airless landfills. The group of students, part of Yale’s annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory with molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel, ventured to the jungles of Ecuador.

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