Scientists at the Arctic Floating University hope to discover fungal and bacterial enzymes that help decompose plastic in the Arctic. Their discovery may be the first step towards solving the problem of plastic waste.
The search will be conducted in the coastal strip of the Arctic islands, where fragments of plastic debris with traces of biofouling will be collected, which are left by animals, plants, bacteria and fungi that settle on plastic. They can release substances that decompose plastic, TASS reports. Bacteria and fungi capable of destroying plastic are already known to scientists.
However, experts hope that such organisms living in the Arctic are more viable and their enzymes may be more active.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
