Do lixo ao lanche: fungos podem fazer banquete com plástico

From Trash to Snack: “Trained” Marine Fungi Can Feast on Ocean Plastics!

Written by Sara Aquino

Published on 10/07/2025 at 08:29

Updated on 10/07/2025 at 08:30

Foto Divulgação iGUi Ecologia.

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Scientists Discover That Marine Fungi Can Be Used To Degrade Plastics In The Oceans. Natural Solution Could Change The Environmental Game.

Scientists are teaching marine fungi to consume plastics that pollute the oceans. The process involves controlled adaptation in the laboratory and has shown promising results.

This new front in the fight against pollution could revolutionize the fate of marine waste. The discovery reignites hope for an ecological and self-sustaining cleanup.

Fungi at the Table: An Unusual Plastic Diet

Researchers have identified species of marine fungi capable of metabolizing plastic materials. By exposing the microorganisms to waste such as polyethylene, they began to recognize it as a carbon source.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Biotechnology with a Salty Flavor

The training process involves gradual exposure to polymers, allowing the fungi to develop specific enzymes. This approach is already used in other contexts, such as in the treatment of agricultural waste.

The novelty is the application in the saline and extreme environment of the oceans. Marine fungi exhibit greater resistance than their terrestrial counterparts.

Cleaner Ocean, Greener Science

It is estimated that around 11 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year.

From Trash to Treasure: “Trained” Marine Fungi Can Feast on Ocean Plastics! Photo Courtesy of FreePik.

The possibility of reducing this number using biological agents represents a leap in environmental technology.

Furthermore, the fungi do not produce toxic waste in the process. This reinforces the appeal for solutions that do not create new problems.

Next Steps: From Laboratories to the Seas

The future goal is to create floating platforms or submerged systems with fungi that act in situ. This will require research on ecological impacts and safety for marine species.

If feasible, the method could be integrated into ocean cleanup policies. Nature and science can, together, repair what humanity has damaged.

From Trash to Snack: “Trained” Marine Fungi Can Feast on Ocean Plastics!

Scientists Discover That Marine Fungi Can Be Used To Degrade Plastics In The Oceans. Natural Solution Could Change The Environmental Game.

Fungi at the Table: An Unusual Plastic Diet

Biotechnology with a Salty Flavor

Cleaner Ocean, Greener Science

Next Steps: From Laboratories to the Seas

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From Trash to Snack: “Trained” Marine Fungi Can Feast on Ocean Plastics!

Scientists Discover That Marine Fungi Can Be Used To Degrade Plastics In The Oceans. Natural Solution Could Change The Environmental Game.

Fungi at the Table: An Unusual Plastic Diet

Biotechnology with a Salty Flavor

Cleaner Ocean, Greener Science

Next Steps: From Laboratories to the Seas

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A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

Secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago found in the Pyramid of Khufu, and Hawass announces its opening to the world in 2026

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While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

While communities suffer from water scarcity and the advancing desert, women in Morocco use nets high up in the mountains to trap fog droplets, fill reservoirs, and transport drinking water through more than 10 km of piping.

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