This summer, researchers at a 91原创 university have been working to find alternatives to single-use plastics.

They want to know: can fungi play a major role in meeting the planet鈥檚 needs for renewable, biodegradable materials?

Dr. Richard Chandra, Trinity Western University's associate provost of research, is working with two TWU biology majors, Jabin Zuidhof and Kristin Korten, on research to develop renewable materials from fungi.

The challenge, Chandra explained, is that millions of tons of single-use plastics 鈥� such as those used in packaging, bags, bottles, and straws 鈥� are discarded into our environment on an annual basis.

Since these plastics are typically made from petroleum fossil based-fuels, they are non-biodegradable and non-renewable, and we can expect these materials to stick around on our planet for hundreds of years.

Chandra points to the urgency for answers.

鈥淚t is obvious that we need to do a better job. As, due to greenhouse gas emissions and the accumulation of non-biodegradable materials such as plastics that are produced from petroleum, the human race is literally 鈥榠n a race鈥� to secure renewable chemicals, materials, and energy,鈥� he said.

That鈥檚 why he and his research team are harnessing fungi's unique ability to consume and convert agricultural and wood waste into renewable materials 鈥搈aterials that could potentially replace plastics and other non-renewable and non-biodegradable products.

As a student researcher, Korten is motivated by the project鈥檚 potential benefit for the future of the planet.

鈥淏ecause my work with Dr. Chandra is so focused on replacing harmful materials often used today with materials that are both sustainable and renewable, this provides an opportunity to effect positive change in the world,鈥� she said.

This direction aligns with Korten鈥檚 aspirations. Having completed her honours degree in biology this spring, she shared, 鈥淢y ultimate goal in life is to be able to make a positive impact on the world through research.鈥�

Joining Korten in the research lab is Zuidhof, a fellow biology major who is similarly motivated to discover new ways to address a major global challenge.

 鈥淚 am excited about doing this research because it takes an environmental issue and looks at finding a solution for it from a new perspective,鈥� he said.

鈥淧lastics are such a problem to our environment, and by using natural sources to create renewable materials, we can find a solution for this problem.鈥�

The team is working to use fungi to convert agricultural and wood waste into renewable materials.
How it works:
鈥� Wood waste, along with agricultural residues, which are non-edible portions of agricultural crops that are typically left on the field, contain a reservoir of renewable chemicals. These chemicals include cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These substances can be used as a source of renewable chemical building blocks to produce new bio-based 鈥減lastic-like鈥� products.
鈥� Scientists refer to this reservoir of renewable chemicals as lignocellulosic biomass. And the good news is that Canada has a plentiful supply. This means that Canada is positioned to be a leader in the development of renewable materials and energy.
鈥� There is a catch, however. A major obstacle is the requirement for energy- and chemical- intensive treatments of biomass to achieve the separation and recovery of the cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose components to enable their utilization.

That's where fungi can be used as a solution.

"One way to circumvent this obstacle," Chandra shared, "is to harness the ability of fungi that we commonly know as mushrooms, including Shitake, Reishi, and Turkey tail, to grow directly on biomass and consume the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin to produce renewable biodegradable materials from the resulting fungal mycelium, that is, the vegetative part of fungi that typically grows underground.鈥�

More specifically, Chandra is investigating how the chemical and physical characteristics of lignocellulosic biomass influence how each fungus grows to produce these mycelium materials.

Ultimately, by using this information, Chandra hopes to 鈥渃ustom build鈥� these fungal mycelium-based materials to maximize the potential of these renewable, biodegradable materials to replace non-renewable, non-biodegradable plastics.

He and his team express that they are very excited to be part of the growing research and teaching activity on sustainability at TWU.