Plastic is not on most fungi's menu — but a specific marine species has acquired a surprising appetite for it. Why is this so exciting? The discovery opens the door to a natural solution for breaking down one of the planet's most persistent pollutants.
Plastics are everywhere, from food packaging and textiles to medical equipment and electronics. One of the most stubborn types is polyurethane, a synthetic plastic commonly found in industrial and medical products.
Unlike biodegradable plastics and those derived from renewable resources, some types of polyurethane are designed for long-lasting performance. While this makes them highly durable, it also makes them much harder to break down.
Fortunately, fungi are known for breaking down materials that other organisms cannot. In 2011, Yale University students first discovered this in the rainforests of Ecuador. Scientists are now harnessing their abilities to combat plastic pollution.
Building on these earlier discoveries, researchers at the University of Hawai'i identified marine fungi capable of degrading polyurethane. The team focused on fungi collected from Hawaii's coastal waters. They tested and selectively bred the fungi to see if they could break down the plastic. The goal? To see if increased exposure would lead to faster degradation.
Ronja Steinbach, lead author from the UH Månoa College of Natural Sciences, stated, "We were shocked to find that more than 60% of the fungi we collected from the ocean had some ability to eat plastic and transform it into fungi."
The team filled dishes with polyurethane and measured how fast the fungi consumed the plastic. They then took the fungi that grew the fastest and evolved them with greater exposure to polyurethane. The results were promising — the fungi adapted and began consuming plastic more quickly and efficiently.
"It was very exciting to see that in just three months, a relatively short amount of time, some of the fungi were able to increase their feeding rates by as much as 15%," Steinbach said.
The world generates roughly 400 million tons of plastic yearly. Depending on the type, it can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years or more to decompose. This staggering timeline has driven scientists to search for solutions to the growing pollution crisis.
"Plastic in the environment today is extremely long-lived, and is nearly impossible to degrade using existing technologies," said Steinbach.
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Stricter regulations on companies 🏛️ The team further aims to target polyethylene, PET, and other plastics contributing to ocean pollution. They are also studying to understand the molecular and cellular processes fungi use to degrade these plastics.
"We hope to collaborate with engineers, chemists, and oceanographers who can leverage these findings into actual solutions to clean up our beaches and oceans," Steinbach added.
As of May 2023, scientists had identified around 436 plastic-eating fungi. With continued scientific research into land and marine fungi — and support from sustainability-focused companies like Trashie, REI, and Intuit — a cleaner, greener future is within reach.
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