Epic world- 08/09/23

For all those new to the Epic world Blog. This is a weekly blog post coming out each Friday. It is a collection of any cool and inspiring articles, media, and events that have caught my interest and that I would like to share with you all.

Have something cool to share? Drop it in the comments section so everyone can see. lets all be inspired.

Bird photographer of the year 2023 winners

The Winner of the 2023 Bird photographer of the year was announced as Jack Zhi. For his photo of a female peregrine falcon attacking a pelican.

***Photograph: Jack Zhi/Bird photographer of the year 2023***

Plastic Eating Fungi

A new study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and partners has identified a microbiome of plastic-eating fungi and bacteria in the coastal salt marshes of Jiangsu, China.

Scientists have counted a total of 184 fungal and 55 bacterial strains capable of breaking down polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable polyester commonly used in the production of various polyurethanes. Of these, bacterial strains Jonesia and Streptomyces have the potential to further degrade other petroleum-based polymers – natural or synthetic chains of molecules bound together.

A 2017 study led by researchers from China and Pakistan identified a strain of the fungi Aspergillus tubingensis that was breaking down plastic at a landfill in Islamabad, Pakistan

The idea of using mushrooms to break down plastics isn’t without its limitations. Releasing new organisms into new environments (for example, in the ocean, which is home to hundreds of thousands of metric tons worth of plastic) is problematic to say the least. It however brings some hope that using fungi alongside other plastic clearing methods will lead to a better cleaner environment in the near future.