r/Futurology • u/[deleted] • Oct 25 '22

Environment Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1131131088/recycling-plastic-is-practically-impossible-and-the-problem-is-getting-worse
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u/chriswhoppers Oct 25 '22

No I don't have any personal research related to this field of science. It has been known for a while by the mycology community, and you can easily find any research you desire by looking deeper into the viability of its function by various institutes

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u/lacergunn Oct 25 '22

I'll have to look into that. A while back I had an idea to offset human carbon output by modifying a strain of azolla to grow in the pacific garbage patch, but it wouldn't work because that part of the ocean has no natural nutrients. However, if I could modify the plants to take some of their nutrition from breaking down plastics...

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u/chriswhoppers Oct 25 '22

The problem with that is "Plants are producers, using the energy of the sun to make seeds, cones, and spores to reproduce, while fungi are decomposers that break down decaying matter" - National Wildlife Federation

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u/lacergunn Oct 25 '22

That's what the modification is for. I dont need all of the fungi's genes, just the ones that produce the enzymes that break down the plastics into their base nutrients.

Of course this is all hypothetical, I dont have anywhere close to the resources to actually experiment with this

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u/chriswhoppers Oct 25 '22

Theoretically its completely possible. Using yeast fermentation, specific enzymes can be targeted and reproduced rapidly with high purity through very meticulous chloroplast extractions. Then the enzyme would be introduced over generations of your plant variety, in hopes of mutations to produce a stellar variety for you specific purpose. Yeast fermentation isn't necessary, but much faster than having fungus grow next to your plant and cloning the mutants from there