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Scientists Find Plastic-Eating Fungus Feasting on Great Pacific Garbage Patch (futurism.com)

submitted 6 months ago by schizoidman@lemmy.ml to c/science@lemmy.world

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/16488358

Scientists Find Plastic-Eating Fungus Feasting on Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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[-] Azzu@lemm.ee 31 points 6 months ago

I would really like to know what's the resulting materials after the breaking down, but the article doesn't say :(

[-] AutistoMephisto@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago

Well, given what we know about most commercial plastics, which are all derived from oil/complex hydrocarbons, the consumed plastic could be broken down into condensed carbon? Or would it be carbon gases? I'm speculating based on just what I know about plastics, what they are and how they're made.

[-] eran_morad@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago

The fungi are likely oxidizing the plastic to CO2, probably via many metabolic intermediates. This is likely driven by the fact that plastics are chemically reduced - a rich source of chemical potential energy. Accessing that energy requires enzymatic conversion to a less reduced state, culminating in the fully oxidized CO2 molecule.