Participants of the Arctic Floating University - 2024 (APU) expedition plan to find enzymes from fungi and bacteria in the Arctic to break down plastic.
Researchers plan to find plastic fragments with biofouling from fungi, bacteria, and other organisms that release substances to destroy plastic in the coastal zone.
Our global goal is to find plastic biodegraders, those organisms that will ultimately help us somehow solve the problem of plastic accumulation and recycling.
Similar studies have already been conducted on Lake Baikal. Scientists installed various structures in the water, and samples were collected every three months for analysis. The results showed that fungal and bacterial enzymes are the most promising for destroying the structure of plastic.
Plastic with biofouling is usually not accepted for recycling. And therefore, we hope that microorganisms will help us in solving this problem.
The researchers set a goal to study Arctic microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions. Their enzymes may be more powerful and break down plastic faster.
The expedition started on June 25 this year. Research will be conducted on the islands of Kolguev, Novaya Zemlya, and Franz Josef Land, in the White and Barents Seas from aboard the research vessel "Professor Molchanov."
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the largest plastic recycling enterprise opened in the Moscow region.
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