Temperature's Relationship To Plastic Degrading Fungi

We are in an ecological pollution crisis. The main culprit; Plastic. This project uses a fungus that secretes enzymes that can break plastic down into organic compounds under perfect temperatures.

This new plastic disposal system allows for degradation of PET plastic. The fungus Pestalotiopsis-microspora is our solution because it synthesizes and secretes the enzyme PETase. PETase disintegrates polyethylene terephthalate (PET), found in most plastic products, into organic compounds by using the enzyme-substrate complex.

 During the enzyme-substrate complex, which is a chemical process utilized by enzymes, the enzyme (PETase), makes contact with the substrate (PET plastic). After the substrate merges with the enzyme on its active site a product would be produced. In this case products BHET, MHET, and TPA would be produced. Enzymes have slim temperature ranges, if exceeded they will denature because their active site morphs, causing the substrate to no longer fit. PETase should be kept at 40C and Pestalotiopsis-microspora should be kept at 23C to be at its optimal state. Another factor is the growth of fungal spores. As temperatures surpass the optimum temperature, chemical reactions occur less efficiently, slowing growth. Compromising the optimum temperatures is necessary for both parties. 

Our product is composed of a large 1-gallon jar, germination pad, thermometer, heat sensor, and petri dish with Pestalotiopsis-microspora. The prototype setup is essentially a portable mycelium incubator.

Plastic waste has been a prominent issue in the last few years. The effects of plastic waste on the ocean and other crucial environments that we humans and other fauna depend on have been catastrophic. Plastic can be found on almost every crevice of the earth, from the deepest points like the Mariana Trench to the highest like Mt. Everest. The marks left by human consumerism have been unmistakably noticeable all over the globe. This can no longer stay as an issue of politics and capitalistic behaviors of man, but a global issue, an issue that pertains to all of man. The various organisms which inhabit these ecosystems of our planet earth provide us with self-replenishing and balancing ecosystemic services which we need and allow earth which is a delicate home for all life, that we know of, to maintain its health. 

PET is commonly used in industrial settings to produce plastic for human application. It is to this date the most frequently used synthetic substance to produce disposable plastic goods. The lack of sustainability immensely contributes to the environmental problems caused by PET products. 

Plastic pollution is disrupting the natural processes in which allows the earth to be a habitable environment for all species, without these natural services we will be doomed. Although recycling plastic is a great solution, in reality, only 9% of all plastic is actually recycled. We need a better way to dispose of and break this material down for a healthier Earth. 

A solution found in this experiment would directly impact the lives of potentially everyone living on planet earth. The continuous problem we as humans face is plastic pollution. Recycling isn't enough to combat this growing issue therefore by finding an ideal temperature for both the plastic-eating mushroom and the PETase enzyme it contains could hopefully lead to more research on how to implement our findings on a wider scale in terms of landfills. 

No, we have not engaged with potential users in the design and development of our solution as this is something we just started in our high school careers. Our hope is that this contest could help us take our research on a higher scale in terms of being able to get more materials to conduct further and more accurate research. 

This is currently a high school-level research project in progress. It will most likely be completed in the late spring of 2022. We are still collecting data. Up to date, all of the concept work has been completed in a project proposal paper which describes this concept and how the prototype will look and work. 

Our Proposal

There is also a second prototype in the works. Prototype #2 is a concept idea which we hope to pursue in the future. In prototype #2, plastic would get shredded at the top. Then it would be filtered through the different size levels by vibration. The fungi would react with the PET and dissolve it causing the plastic to fall down into smaller levels until it is completely disintegrated.

Image of Prototype #2 JaR

Prototype 2, 3D model

Our product (JaR), is a new technology that is a heating and germination pad attached to a 1-gallon jar in order to test different temperature levels on both the fungi and PETase enzyme inside the fungus. The biological process used in this product is the enzyme-substrate complex. In our product, we are testing the relationship between PETase and PET during this biological process.

There is also a second prototype in the works. Prototype #2 is a concept idea which we hope to pursue in the future. In prototype #2, plastic would get shredded at the top. Then it would be filtered through the different size levels by vibration. The fungi would react with the PET and dissolve it causing the plastic to fall down into smaller levels until it is completely disintegrated.

Image of Prototype #2 JaR

Prototype 2, 3D model

Currently, our solution doesn't serve anyone because we are still in the research phase of figuring out an ideal temperature for the mushroom and enzyme survival. But assuming everything goes as planned in the next year we would like to send out 50 refined prototypes which would serve anywhere in between 50-100 people. 

Our internal goal is to maintain a living, growing, biomass that disintegrates plastic. 

Our external goal is to support people in polluted communities by finding solutions to plastic consumerism and plastic disposal.  

Two tables will be used to organize our data by the control group and each experimental group with rows for us to input the magnitude of plastic degradation. In table 1 the plastic degradation will be recorded over the course of 16 weeks to showcase the change over a week-by-week period. In comparison table 2 will illustrate the all-encompassing change that occurred from the beginning to the end of the experiment with the use of initial mass, final mass, and the subtracted change. For the qualitative data, there will be a timelapse video of the fungi spores over the course of the experiment. Pictures of the spores will be taken every day at 8:00 AM and at the end of the experiment a video will be made to showcase the changes or lack thereof of spore growth. 

Our lack of financial stability prevents us from taking our experiment to the next level of research which would be the distribution of prototypes. 

We are two high schoolers with the ambition of finding a sustainable solution for plastic waste. Although we come from two really different and diverse backgrounds we are both girls in the stem field, and we both attend the same NYC Queens public school. We hope that our project can help many people and be primarily used to help people in polluted communities where there is a surplus of plastic waste and poor sanitation. If our project turns out to be feasible we would plan to create more perfected prototypes of our product and distribute them in these underrepresented neighborhoods in New York City. This would serve as our community testing phase where we can start helping other people. During this phase, we could collect feedback from residents and improve our product. Not only could our project help those who live in unsanitary conditions but also the wildlife in the local area.

None. We are independent.

If all goes well and an ideal temperature is discovered we would then move on to the next phase which would be to distribute a more refined prototype of the heating and germination product to low-income polluted communities to begin phase 1 of testing. In the end, this could produce a more sustainable solution to plastic waste. 

If all goes well and an ideal temperature is discovered we would then move on to the next phase which would be to distribute a more refined prototype of the heating and germination product to low-income polluted communities to begin phase 1 of testing. In the end, this could produce a more sustainable solution to plastic waste.