The Lifesciences Magazine

Source-Futurism A groundbreaking study has unveiled the presence of a plastic-eating fungus in the ocean. The marine microbe, identified as Parengyodontium album, was discovered on plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This significant finding was made by marine microbiologists from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) in collaboration with experts from Utrecht University, the Ocean Cleanup in Copenhagen, and St. Gallen, Switzerland. Upon isolating P. album in a laboratory, scientists observed its ability to break down polyethylene, a common type of plastic, following exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight. The researchers isolated the plastic-eating fungus plastic-eating fungus from floating plastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, commonly referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They successfully cultured the fungus on specially treated plastics containing labeled carbon, allowing precise measurement of the degradati...