Let’s face it The last great series on HBO Max made us love mushrooms. However, not everyone is like him. fungus Last of us. There are those who are able to give us such wonderful gifts as beer, wine or bread. Others offered us antibiotics that saved so many lives. And now, according to a study just published in Scientific achievementswe could find a plastic capable of becoming biodegradable.
It’s about tinder fungus (fomes fomentarius), a tree parasite that enters through cracks in their trunks, causing them to rot. As the name suggests, it was used in the past to make fire. In fact, the famous Ötzi, a 5,000-year-old man found in the ice of the Alps, carried several pieces of this mushroom with him, probably to start fires.
But this is not its only benefit. Now a group of scientists from Finland, Germany and the Netherlands, discovered that it could also be used to create biodegradable plastics, as it has some of the qualities that make it a great material. All this should help us come to terms with the fungus. Last of useven with the one that exists in real life.
Why doesn’t it look like fungus Last of us?
The first quality that distinguishes F. fomentarius fungus Last of us The thing is parasitic only on treeshence It does not harm any animal species.
But, on the other hand, its curious form stands out. It must be able to remain intact on tree trunks, without succumbing, for example, to blows blow from a branch. Therefore, although it is very light, it is also very strong and durable. Most materials with this quality have an analogue of very heavy weight, which is why this material is so interesting.
Authors of this study fungus samples collected in Finland and analyzed them fruiting body. That is, the largest part that we see coming out of the tree trunk. They saw that it was three hats. first hard outer barkafter foam cap and finally a few stacks hollow tubular structures. These tubes, surrounded by foam, are responsible for being able to withstand such large forces without moving much. And that makes it a great material.
In search of biodegradable plastic
For years we have known about the great the problem that plastics pose to the environment. Not only because they can cause health problems in animals that ingest it. And because hundreds of years decaymeanwhile polluting the ecosystems in which it is deposited.
Therefore, ideally, one should find materials with similar properties that can be degraded as organic substances. Mushroom is a great option for this, especially this one. At the moment you have to study it further. However, the researchers are optimistic and even believe that it may have other purposes, both industrial and in the field of medicine. And so on without turning anyone into a zombie (neither in infected). Not everyone is like fungus Last of ussome make our life much easier.
Source: Hiper Textual
