Amazonian Fungus Eats Polyurethane

A fungus from the Amazonian rainforest can break down and consume polyurethane, a polymer discovered in 1937 by scientists at IG Farben. Humans use 12M metric tons of polyurethane every year, often for disposable goods, and are running out of places to dump it all. The fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspora, could help dispose of the material; it even works in anaerobic environment, like the bottom of a landfill.

(Pestalotiopsis microspora)

The properties of the fungus were uncovered by student researchers led by molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel as part of Yale's annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory.

In The Plastic Eaters, Gerry Davis and Kit Pedlar wrote about a biological time bomb that could destroy necessary infrastructure.

"On the surface, in the freezing December air, the smell of the rotting plastic began to hang permanently in the air. A cloying, wet, rotting smell similar to the smell of long-dead flesh. It filled streets and homes, basements and factories. Traffic lights failed, causing irresolvable jams.... The breakdown of plastic spread into Broadcasting House.... A gas main with polypropylene seals on its pressure regulators erupted into flame.... Plastic cold-water pipes softened, ballooned, and burst, flooding into shops, homes, and restaurants.

"Slowly and inexorably, the rate of dissolution increased; failures occurred in increasing succession until, within forty-eight hours, the centre of London had become a freezing chaos without light, heat, or communication."

Earlier still, Michael Crichton wrote about it in his 1969 novel The Andromeda Strain.


"The airplane."

Hall nodded. "National guardsmen could be on the ground, and not be harmed. But the pilot had his aircraft destroyed because the plastic was dissolved before his eyes."
(Read more about Crichton's plastic-eating bacteria)

Via Co.Exist; thanks to Winchell Chung for the tip and a reference on this story.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 2/2/2012)

Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.


Would you like to contribute a story tip? It's easy:

Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )

Related News Stories - (" Material ")

Self-Healing Circuits From Carnegie Mellon

Dune Fans! Metal-Organic Frameworks Make Science Fiction Real

Fungi-Infused Concrete Repairs Itself

3D Printed Graphene Aerogel - So Light!


  Web TechNovelgy.com   







Current News

Las Vegas Humans Ready To Strike Over Robots

You'll Regrow That Limb, One Day

Elon Musk Seeks To Create 1941 Heinlein Speedster

Somnox Sleep Robot - Your Sleepytime Cuddlebot
Science fiction authors are serious about sleep, too.

Real-Life Macau or Ghost In The Shell
Art imitates life imitates art.

Has Climate Change Already Been Solved By Aliens?

First 3D Printed Human Corneas From Stem Cells
Just what we need! Lots of spare parts.

VirtualHome: Teaching Robots To Do Chores Around The House

Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) Workshop
SF writers have thought about this since the 19th century.

Nanorobots Roam Your Bloodstream, Cleaning It
Too bad they won't have lasers, though...

Galini 3D Printed Sleeping Pod Tiny Houses
'The houses are prefabricated units...'

MIT Boffins Create Psychopath AI On Purpose
There's a lesson in this for neural net AI engineers everywhere.

Skin Electronics 3D Printed

Artificial Sensory Neurons For Prosthetics, Robots
Great for humans and robots!

China Uses Artificial Intelligence To Grade Student Papers

Electronic Tongues Will Rule The Kitchen

More SF in the News Stories

More Beyond Technovelgy science news stories

Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.