Fungi: Nature's Pollution Solution

Fungi are rapidly becoming key players in helping humanity combat pollution and climate change. There are thousands of diverse species, living in every habitat on the planet, and they have been helping save the world for years. Fungi have been used to create medicines, including the antibiotic penicillin, and they can also help with plastic pollution, toxic metal pollution, and the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Fungi can help fight plastic pollution

Fungi can also be used to help with pollution and climate change. They have the ability to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons, comprising alkanes, aromatic and nitrogen-sulfur-oxygen-containing compounds. Fungi are also suitable bioremediation agents to counteract environmental pollution of toxic metals. They can change the oxidation state of heavy metals, which can change their toxicity and mobilise or precipitate them. This is known as biosorption.

Fungi are therefore attractive candidates for biotechnological purposes and industrial bioremediation efforts. They have recently been gaining attention as suitable agents for wastewater treatment.

Fungi can help fight climate change

Fungi can be used to help fight disease, for example, the antibiotic penicillin was famously discovered by Alexander Fleming when he found that a blue-green mould prevented the growth of infectious bacteria in one of his experiments. Fungi can also be used to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons, comprising alkanes, aromatic and nitrogen-sulfur-oxygen-containing compounds.

Fungi are also suitable bioremediation agents to counteract environmental pollution of toxic metals. They can change the oxidation state of heavy metals, which can change their toxicity and mobilise or precipitate them. Fungi possess extra and intracellular biochemical and molecular mechanisms which rely on, firstly, binding of the metal to the cell surface via an ion exchange reaction, surface binding, and complexion with functional groups (known as biosorption) and, secondly, cellular uptake and compartmentalisation.

Fungi are also being used as meat replacements, which can help to reduce the environmental impact of the meat industry.

Fungi can help fight disease

Fungi have been used to create medicines commonly used today, such as the antibiotic penicillin, which was discovered by Alexander Fleming when he found that a blue-green mould prevented the growth of infectious bacteria in one of his experiments.

Fungi are also able to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons, comprising alkanes, aromatic and nitrogen-sulfur-oxygen-containing compounds. They have been described as suitable bioremediation agents to counteract environmental pollution of toxic metals. Fungi possess extra and intracellular biochemical and molecular mechanisms which rely on, firstly, binding of the metal to the cell surface via an ion exchange reaction, surface binding, and complexion with functional groups (known as biosorption) and, secondly, cellular uptake and compartmentalisation.

Fungi can help with the bioremediation of heavy metals

Fungi have been described as suitable bioremediation agents to counteract environmental pollution of toxic metals. They are consequently attractive candidates for biotechnological purposes and industrial bioremediation efforts. They have recently been gaining attention as suitable agents for wastewater treatment.

Fungi are rapidly becoming key players in helping humanity combat pollution and climate change. There are thousands of diverse species, living in every habitat on the planet. Fungi might be the secret weapon in helping fight disease, plastic pollution and climate change. A number of medicines commonly used today are fungus-based. The antibiotic penicillin was famously discovered by Alexander Fleming when he found that a blue-green mould prevented the growth of infectious bacteria in one of his experiments.

Fungi can be used to create medicines

Fungi are rapidly becoming key players in helping humanity combat pollution and climate change. One of the ways they can do this is by being used to create medicines.

Fungi have been helping save the world for years. A number of medicines commonly used today are fungus-based. The antibiotic penicillin was famously discovered by Alexander Fleming when he found that a blue-green mould prevented the growth of infectious bacteria in one of his experiments.

Fungi have also been described as suitable bioremediation agents to counteract environmental pollution of toxic metals. They possess extra and intracellular biochemical and molecular mechanisms which rely on, firstly, binding of the metal to the cell surface via an ion exchange reaction, surface binding, and complexion with functional groups (known as biosorption) and secondly, cellular uptake and compartmentalisation.

Fungi are also able to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons, comprising alkanes, aromatic and nitrogen-sulfur-oxygen-containing compounds. This makes them attractive candidates for biotechnological purposes and industrial bioremediation efforts. They have recently been gaining attention as suitable agents for wastewater treatment.

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