Researchers from Yale University have discovered a mushroom in the jungles of Ecuador that is able to survive on a diet of polyurethane.

The fungus, namely Pestalotiopsis microspore is able to survive by eating plastic alone and has no need for air or light. The discovery was made by students Jonathan Russell and Pria Anand, who have published their findings in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

The pair has isolated the enzyme within P. microspore that allows it to decompose plastic; the next step will be to extract the enzyme so that it can be put to work dealing with plastic waste. Now all we need is a mushroom that can dine on cesium and we’ll be set.

[Source]