Scientists discover plastic-eating fungi that could help clean up world’s oceans

Bacteria and fungi are evolving to eat plastic but their impact will likely be limited to specific applications, researchers say

Scientists in Germany have identified a type of fungi that is capable of breaking down synthetic plastics, offering a potential new weapon in the global fight against plastic pollution.

A team at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin found that certain microfungi can survive exclusively on plastics, degrading them into simpler forms.

While this is a promising breakthrough, especially when it comes to tackling oceanic plastic pollution, experts cautioned that it is not a silver bullet.

Researchers observed that microfungi in Lake Stechlin in northeastern Germany can thrive on synthetic polymers without any other carbon source.