United States. A group of researchers from Yale University discovered a fungus capable of processing polyurethane by feeding on it and thus preventing the polymer from becoming a problem for the environment by not being biodegradable.
The discovery was presented in the Amazon rainforest as part of the Rainforest Expeditions, a stay in the jungle during the spring period. There, the team found a fungus known as Pestalotiopsis Microspora that, in addition to processing polyurethane, does not need oxygen to live.
The fungus was discovered in Ecuador by students Pria Anand and Jonathan Russell who found the plant and the enzyme that can process polyurethane, with the advantage that it can be inserted into the material itself so that it disintegrates naturally or treatment processes based on this fungus are developed.
The polymer is used in products such as thermal insulators, paints, packaging, textile fibers, sealants, adhesives, among others.
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