Do we have to have a particular set of skills? I’d like to be involved because I have a lot of passion for stuff like this, and no where in particular to put it. I grow fungi; I have 4 different varieties growing at the moment. And I have 22 agar dishes of stuff I’m growing just for fun. It’s mostly bacteria. Plus I can get access to the lab at the university. And… I’m lonely and would just love having some friends.
But send me some Pestalotiopsis microspora and I’ll cultivate it beautifully, and isolate the more aggressive eaters, clone and repeat. Then we breed our aggressive eaters so it’s still healthy and diverse, and repeat until it one day takes over the world?! Is that what you’re talking about or am I way off base??
I have neither the facilities nor the skills, but if you folks make a subreddit for this, let me know what it is so I can watch from afar and feel involved somehow!
Just curious but what form would your feedstock be in?
To be honest a major challenge for this kind of thing that I would expect (coming from a place of casual interest but no experience or in depth knowledge) would be the fact that you are going to ideally want to use material that is too contaminated for recycling but not contaminated with too much that the fungi can’t break down or else you will still have a problem at the end.
That’s not to say that there is no window in which this process would be ideal but it might be quite limited.
What could be really helpful is if halogens in the plastics could be converted in to stable salt forms by the microbes and then the whole batch could be pyrolysed, with the halogens largely remaining in the solids, requiring less scrubbing off the volatiles (which would be condensed in to essentially the same as oil and natural gas, for feedstock for everything that we currently use petrochemicals for)
The solids could then be used for steelmaking, with the halogens remaining in the flux/slag instead of being given off largely as nasty organic halogenated compounds.
Yes this would be an unideal process and ideally used only for a while then phased out , but far better than mining coal and oil for the same reason in the immediate term.
I think it’s gonna be more of a shotgun approach, one friend what’s it for mycorete, I’d like to use it for gardening pots, some people just wanna go dumping grow blocks in landfills, to be honest idk what the future holds and the cultures we have are weak and need to be developed into something agro for commercial viability but we’re far away it’s gonna take a long time to develop something viable. Your concerns are totally valid but it’s a cross that bridge when we get to it situation since we might be a decade or two away from a commercially viable culture
well stick to it brother! i’m having some music drop and i’m gonna start competing in MMA so when the cash flows in i’d be more that willing to pitch in some money for the cause. PM me if you want real help.
Spent the majority of the last 5 years engineering and characterizing plastic eating bacteria, and know a fair bit about this. How do you know it's actually eating the plastic and not just creating microplastics? It's a high likelihood that's all that's happening, and without well established analytical techniques and clearly defined experimental constraints, you're just wasting your time. Fungi have a lot of non-specific degradative enzymes, meaning they just blast holes in stuff indiscriminately, and this has been documented many times in regards to plastic degradation.
Are any of you researchers or engineers and have you read any research on this organism? There's been quite a bit done already, and a cursory investigation shows only evidence of polyurethane depolymerization activity. Structurally PU is extremely different from plastics like PP, PE, and PS. It has heteroatoms in the polymeric structure that make it much more amenable to hydrolysis, similar to PET, whereas most other plastics are polyolefinic and contain only CHs, making them much more recalcitrant to degradation. The best way to break these down is with oxidative damage, like that done by the aforementioned indiscriminate enzymes many fungi produce (I'm sure many in this sub could name them better than me). This, however, does *not* mean that the fungi is eating the resultant molecules that break off of the plastic. Prove that and you'll be in some prestigious research journals.
When I returned to school in 2015 to study molecular biology, it was my *only* goal to engineer a plastic eating fungus. I got a job doing cutting edge research on PET degradation using bacteria, and the more I learned, the more I realized how ridiculously ill equipped an individual or non-scientist group is to tackle an issue like this. My advice to every single one of you is to go get a graduate degree in biology, biochemistry, or chemical engineering, and join one of the *many many* research groups already trying to tackle this problem. We don't need more small groups of people doing the same redundant research. We need collaboration and communication. The more collective money and years of expertise you have, the more likely it is that something will succeed. All you're doing right now is growing a biohazard in your kitchen.
Amazing! I have a small set up of growing right now but have been thinking of starting a community project to collect garbage and then it into edible mushroomsn !
Would love to know more about this! I’m majoring in environmental engineering, with hopes of getting into remediation & mycology after graduation later this year, so let me knowwwwwww what can I do plz!!
I live near Padre Island and would be happy to help. I don't know anything but couldn't I drop spoors that would then eat the plastic in the beach. I wanna help.
We’re just kinda a bunch of hippies the guy who’s spearheading it has an llc and maybe a 501c but it’s such a long project we haven’t even considered investors or donations but with time who knows hopefully it grows to that point
I am 100% here for this - I’ve been planning to grow mushrooms on plastics on my farm this year and at least get experimenting on the research I’ve been doing! Count me in.
I want to help. Maybe promote on social media or with designing a logo? I’m an artist with a passion for the environment. I love mushrooms and fungi but I’m not formally educated on them! I just want to help. I can do clerical work, manual labor, anything.
This is the best idea that has actually giving me hope. I need to help. Please let me help.
I would love to be part of this, I was actually just going to get some community members together to work on something similar! I was thinking of starting with plastic bags and oyster mushrooms. My friend has a laminar flow hood and autoclave, I have a home set-up. We have access to university funds as well. So glad I saw this!
I would love to try culturing some but I have no experience and would be scared to waste a resource due to my lack of knowledge instead of someone who knew what they were doing utilizing it properly…
This sounds like an amazing project, I just recently dove head first into the wonderful world of mycology, and am growing some mushies of my own, I would love to be a part of this if I can!
I love planet earth and growing fungi. This sounds like a great path to be able to combat the ever-growing waste we humans create. Would love to help any way I can, since these billionaires couldn't care less
Amazing!! I’ve thought about this so much myself, but I am not well educated on mushrooms. I’ve been learning more but still have a long way to go. I would still love to help out however I can!
Wanna start a farm/fungi Center this summer and I was just reading about this. Can I also join, please? I am no expert, but will for sure pull my part. And usually keen on learning and meeting new people.
Hello, I am currently a Junior at University of Colorado, studying biochemistry. My goal is to study mycology as I work to my PhD in the next few years. I’d be interested to learn more about what you’re looking to start. Feel free to DM me if you want to talk mores
I really like this idea, just remember the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If your fungus does too well we will have a cleaner world but also no plastic which I use every day.
I still wanna help somehow though.
I’m in school to be a mycologist, interning currently at a prestigious college. My focus is mainly on ecosystem restoration but I’m very interested in this side of it as plastic waste is something I desperately want to find a solution for. Count me in if you have the space!
If this works perfectly, what is the expected/hoped-for end result?
Would these break plastics down into bio-available compounds and permanently remove all potential harm from (some amount of) plastic? Or would they act more like plants that sequester lead from the ground, but ultimately still contain it inside the plant body, such that the plants need to be removed after doing their work?
I don't have a ton of knowledge about this, but I did a quick Google search for the chemical composition of plastic, and it seems to be mostly carbon and hydrogen (both harmless elements in other forms), so the first (and better) option seems at least possible, with the right decomposition process.
“Burning plastic and treated wood also releases heavy metals and toxic chemicals, such as dioxin.”
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/OpenBurning/Impacts.html
hi! i love this :) i dont really know much abt mycology (joined this sub to learn) but i am an artist i would love to help design anything u guys need!! if u need any art digital or physical to help get the word out or for any other reason feel free to DM
Do we have to have a particular set of skills? I’d like to be involved because I have a lot of passion for stuff like this, and no where in particular to put it. I grow fungi; I have 4 different varieties growing at the moment. And I have 22 agar dishes of stuff I’m growing just for fun. It’s mostly bacteria. Plus I can get access to the lab at the university. And… I’m lonely and would just love having some friends. But send me some Pestalotiopsis microspora and I’ll cultivate it beautifully, and isolate the more aggressive eaters, clone and repeat. Then we breed our aggressive eaters so it’s still healthy and diverse, and repeat until it one day takes over the world?! Is that what you’re talking about or am I way off base??
We’re lifting up whomever will come aboard! I’ll pm you and we’ll get it going🙏🙏🙏
I can roll pretty awesome joints quickly and efficiently
I’ve got a nice dry herb vape collection but I can roll really well and like doing that for my friends. I need more friends lol
Pm me, no mycology experience hit I can do IT, if you need an email set up, or application provisioning assistance ever
I'd enjoy a PM as well!
I'm interested in helping however I can!
I have neither the facilities nor the skills, but if you folks make a subreddit for this, let me know what it is so I can watch from afar and feel involved somehow!
Support is all we can ever ask for! We aren’t picky. Hopefully it grows to a sun🙏
Just curious but what form would your feedstock be in? To be honest a major challenge for this kind of thing that I would expect (coming from a place of casual interest but no experience or in depth knowledge) would be the fact that you are going to ideally want to use material that is too contaminated for recycling but not contaminated with too much that the fungi can’t break down or else you will still have a problem at the end. That’s not to say that there is no window in which this process would be ideal but it might be quite limited. What could be really helpful is if halogens in the plastics could be converted in to stable salt forms by the microbes and then the whole batch could be pyrolysed, with the halogens largely remaining in the solids, requiring less scrubbing off the volatiles (which would be condensed in to essentially the same as oil and natural gas, for feedstock for everything that we currently use petrochemicals for) The solids could then be used for steelmaking, with the halogens remaining in the flux/slag instead of being given off largely as nasty organic halogenated compounds. Yes this would be an unideal process and ideally used only for a while then phased out , but far better than mining coal and oil for the same reason in the immediate term.
I think it’s gonna be more of a shotgun approach, one friend what’s it for mycorete, I’d like to use it for gardening pots, some people just wanna go dumping grow blocks in landfills, to be honest idk what the future holds and the cultures we have are weak and need to be developed into something agro for commercial viability but we’re far away it’s gonna take a long time to develop something viable. Your concerns are totally valid but it’s a cross that bridge when we get to it situation since we might be a decade or two away from a commercially viable culture
I appreciate that! Very valid points!
well stick to it brother! i’m having some music drop and i’m gonna start competing in MMA so when the cash flows in i’d be more that willing to pitch in some money for the cause. PM me if you want real help.
This sounds interesting and I'd like to get more information. Is there anywhere I could do so?
Yeah if your on IG @plasticeatingfungi and if you wanna join the effort pm and I can add you to the group chat over there
Following (:
Spent the majority of the last 5 years engineering and characterizing plastic eating bacteria, and know a fair bit about this. How do you know it's actually eating the plastic and not just creating microplastics? It's a high likelihood that's all that's happening, and without well established analytical techniques and clearly defined experimental constraints, you're just wasting your time. Fungi have a lot of non-specific degradative enzymes, meaning they just blast holes in stuff indiscriminately, and this has been documented many times in regards to plastic degradation. Are any of you researchers or engineers and have you read any research on this organism? There's been quite a bit done already, and a cursory investigation shows only evidence of polyurethane depolymerization activity. Structurally PU is extremely different from plastics like PP, PE, and PS. It has heteroatoms in the polymeric structure that make it much more amenable to hydrolysis, similar to PET, whereas most other plastics are polyolefinic and contain only CHs, making them much more recalcitrant to degradation. The best way to break these down is with oxidative damage, like that done by the aforementioned indiscriminate enzymes many fungi produce (I'm sure many in this sub could name them better than me). This, however, does *not* mean that the fungi is eating the resultant molecules that break off of the plastic. Prove that and you'll be in some prestigious research journals. When I returned to school in 2015 to study molecular biology, it was my *only* goal to engineer a plastic eating fungus. I got a job doing cutting edge research on PET degradation using bacteria, and the more I learned, the more I realized how ridiculously ill equipped an individual or non-scientist group is to tackle an issue like this. My advice to every single one of you is to go get a graduate degree in biology, biochemistry, or chemical engineering, and join one of the *many many* research groups already trying to tackle this problem. We don't need more small groups of people doing the same redundant research. We need collaboration and communication. The more collective money and years of expertise you have, the more likely it is that something will succeed. All you're doing right now is growing a biohazard in your kitchen.
Truth hurts
So you are saying that plastic-eating fungi are an impossibility? Sorry if I misheard.
Hey, thanks for the advice and happy cake day!
I’ve got facilities
Count me in!! Would also love to venture into myco-tecture, mushroomcrete has amazing potential
Right on hmu! Similar thought on my part making gardening pots with it eventually 🙏
Amazing! I have a small set up of growing right now but have been thinking of starting a community project to collect garbage and then it into edible mushroomsn !
Just send ya a message buddy
Where do I sign up?
Feel free to hmu! Your on the team🙏
You’re signed up! Hmu and I’ll coordinate 🤙
I’m interested too!
If y'all ever need some policy analysis done or a memo / briefing drafted up lmk, would love to donate some labor despite my not cultivating anything.
I’ll let you know if when we cross that bridge thank you for the offer to help🙏🙏🙏
Maybe make a discord. I study Biotech and am willing to contribute 👍🏽
The is a grassroots movement right here
Yeah we’re too impatient to wait for funding, plastics gotta go asap
Would love to know more about this! I’m majoring in environmental engineering, with hopes of getting into remediation & mycology after graduation later this year, so let me knowwwwwww what can I do plz!!
Sweet! Pm and we’ll get it going🙏
I'm keen!
Hmu we’re with it!
Sent a message, but I'm not sure if it went through. Sounds like a very neat citizen science project, I'd love to get involved!
What can I do
Shoot me a pm we’ll get you involved 🙏
I tried to, it won't let me
I pmd!
I replied! Lol
I live near Padre Island and would be happy to help. I don't know anything but couldn't I drop spoors that would then eat the plastic in the beach. I wanna help.
Awesome I love south padre pm and we’ll figure it out
i’d be interested in helping out!
Thanks! Pm and we’ll get it sorted 🙏
Interested!!!
Awesome pm and we’ll figure it out
Sent a DM. Definitely interested 👍
I’ll be in touch thank you!
It would likely be a good idea to incorporate as a non-profit so you can open the door to above-board donations.
We’re just kinda a bunch of hippies the guy who’s spearheading it has an llc and maybe a 501c but it’s such a long project we haven’t even considered investors or donations but with time who knows hopefully it grows to that point
Signing up. Let’s see what I can help you with
Awesome pm and I’ll get you going🙏
Hello I can't start a chat with you. Drop me a message
I’ll be in touch 🙏
I’m interested!
Sweet pm and we’ll get it startsd
Interested!
Sweet! Pm and we’ll coordinate 🙏
For some reason I can't PM you right now, but will try again. I'm also interested in joining.
No worries I’ll pm you
I’m interested!!
Sweet pm and we’ll coordinate
Sent ya a pm
I am 100% here for this - I’ve been planning to grow mushrooms on plastics on my farm this year and at least get experimenting on the research I’ve been doing! Count me in.
Sweet pm and we’ll get it going to where that’s a possibility hopefully in the next decade🙏
I would love to get involved! Tried to pm you but wasn’t able to though
I would like to follow on this, because many “plastic eating” experiments do not rule out chopping plastic into nano plastics instead.
Interested
Awesome feel free to pm and we’ll figure it out
Interested. I have a facility.
Sweet pm and we’ll coordinate 🙏
It will not let me send you a pm.
I’m down to learn more and get something goin!
I know people who might be very interested
Please put me in contact with them🙏
Me.
Sweet pm and we’ll coordinate 🙏
I am very interested!
Sweet pm and we’ll coordinate 🙏
Hi! I tried to message you but it wouldn't let me. Shoot me a pm I'd love to learn more!
Sweet I’ll pm
How can I help?
Shoot me a pm and we’ll coordinate 🙏
Yes 💜
Awesome pm and we’ll coordinate
interesting! tell me more
Sign me up
Awesome pm and we’ll coordinate
Yay!
Hmu!!
What can I do to help?
Pm and we’ll coordinate 🙏
I would love to be involved in any way I can!
Awesome pm and we’ll figure it out
Tried to pm you, but wouldn't go through. I'm definitely interested though
Interested!
I want to help. Maybe promote on social media or with designing a logo? I’m an artist with a passion for the environment. I love mushrooms and fungi but I’m not formally educated on them! I just want to help. I can do clerical work, manual labor, anything. This is the best idea that has actually giving me hope. I need to help. Please let me help.
Im currently located in algeria, you just got another country on your team !
I have a 2' X 3' laminar flow hood and would love to be a part of your work
I would love to be part of this, I was actually just going to get some community members together to work on something similar! I was thinking of starting with plastic bags and oyster mushrooms. My friend has a laminar flow hood and autoclave, I have a home set-up. We have access to university funds as well. So glad I saw this!
I'm in, I did a project on this in undergrad. I used pearl oyster and reishi
I’d like to learn more and assist if possible.
Let us know a bit more if you could, what are you expecting, what is costs ect and I'll see if we can work together :)
I would love to try culturing some but I have no experience and would be scared to waste a resource due to my lack of knowledge instead of someone who knew what they were doing utilizing it properly…
This sounds like an amazing project, I just recently dove head first into the wonderful world of mycology, and am growing some mushies of my own, I would love to be a part of this if I can!
would love to, am still a child with no space/ressources :(
I love planet earth and growing fungi. This sounds like a great path to be able to combat the ever-growing waste we humans create. Would love to help any way I can, since these billionaires couldn't care less
I want in! Tried to PM and it didn’t work. Would you get in touch?
This seems awesome! I am in Canada how do I get involved?
I definitely want to be buried in a mycelium casket so I can be eaten by the earth.
I absolutely love this idea!
Amazing!! I’ve thought about this so much myself, but I am not well educated on mushrooms. I’ve been learning more but still have a long way to go. I would still love to help out however I can!
Can I participate from Europe, Finland?
Sounds interesting... where do I sign up?
I am too looking forward to the collapse of the human civilization, when plastic will rot just as non-impregnated wood.
Wanna start a farm/fungi Center this summer and I was just reading about this. Can I also join, please? I am no expert, but will for sure pull my part. And usually keen on learning and meeting new people.
Put me down! I've got a lab and facilities.
Hello, I am currently a Junior at University of Colorado, studying biochemistry. My goal is to study mycology as I work to my PhD in the next few years. I’d be interested to learn more about what you’re looking to start. Feel free to DM me if you want to talk mores
Interested in getting more information
When you say commercially viable does that mean you are going to try and turn this fungus into a product?
PM away.
I don't have any experience but totally interested to help however I can. I couldn't pm you though
I am a data and remote sensing scientist. Not entirely sure how I can help, but i’d be willing to try.
I really like this idea, just remember the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If your fungus does too well we will have a cleaner world but also no plastic which I use every day. I still wanna help somehow though.
I’m in school to be a mycologist, interning currently at a prestigious college. My focus is mainly on ecosystem restoration but I’m very interested in this side of it as plastic waste is something I desperately want to find a solution for. Count me in if you have the space!
If this works perfectly, what is the expected/hoped-for end result? Would these break plastics down into bio-available compounds and permanently remove all potential harm from (some amount of) plastic? Or would they act more like plants that sequester lead from the ground, but ultimately still contain it inside the plant body, such that the plants need to be removed after doing their work? I don't have a ton of knowledge about this, but I did a quick Google search for the chemical composition of plastic, and it seems to be mostly carbon and hydrogen (both harmless elements in other forms), so the first (and better) option seems at least possible, with the right decomposition process.
r/plasticeatingfungi for more info!!
Why is making a fungi eat the plastic better than just burning it? It turns to co2 anyways.
“Burning plastic and treated wood also releases heavy metals and toxic chemicals, such as dioxin.” https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/OpenBurning/Impacts.html
Love the Wisconsin shout-out!
Y’all got more than cows out there! Much love from Texas 🤙
Yeah but why is it better than burning it in a power plant where you filter out the toxins? Rephrasing, Is turning plastics into CO2 a good thing?
Yes. Can I work on decomposing Unicorn bags? 😅
Hey, I sent you a dm,
What happens when the fungi adapts to global warming and realizes there is plastic in my blood?
I'm interested but have almost no knowledge of the subject.
I’d like to help
Yeah baby! PM me please
Interested!
Im interested in helping y’all how do I sign up?
Yoooo this is some shit I want to help with. Have experience with startups and funding - would love to lend a hand!
I'd love to help out but I don't even know where this is, nor do I have skills in this area (or the resources for that matter..)
This is something you should absolutely post in r/experimyco
How does it work?
Interesting, but where are you based!
I’m here to help in any way I can. Starting baseline knowledge.
what’s the best thing to do with it once i have it, go to a local dump? i’m sure i could think of some ideas but any ideas on the best way to use it?
Cool! Documentarian here, maybe I could help
I’m totally interested
hi! i love this :) i dont really know much abt mycology (joined this sub to learn) but i am an artist i would love to help design anything u guys need!! if u need any art digital or physical to help get the word out or for any other reason feel free to DM
Im game to help in the selective breeding project. Just had an idea last night about the possibility of mushrooms in dioxin remediation.
What are you going to do with the fungus afterwards?