Amazonian mushroom eats plastic (Pestalotiopsis microspora)

Since the first plastic polymer polyurethane was discovered back in 1937 by I.G. Farben [3], Polyurethane, a synthetic  polymer derived from the condensation of polyisocyanate and polyol widely used as a base material in various industries [2], became more and more a concern for the amounts of this type of plastic produced by the industry and the pollution generated by its disposal.

Fortunately polyester polyurethane is one of the few types of plastics susceptible to degradation by natural sources, mainly biodegradation bymicrobial attack and enzyme degradation. However this wasn't that simple as this biodegradation required until now quite some effort to be achieved. Providentially, students of Yale University found a Fungus, Pestalotiopsis microspora, original from the Ecuadorian rain forest, able to decompose Polyurethane on a natural way.

Pestalotiopsis microspora was able to survive on an exclusive "diet" of polyurethane as it only carbon source, both in aerobic and anaerobic conditions (in the presence of air and without it). Other ways to decompose Polyurethane include the use of degrading enzymes as the esterase, derived fromComamonas acidovorans TB-35 [2], a gram negative bacteria resistant to most antibiotics.

source: herbcyclopedia.com