Check out these articles by CU Student Caleb Gruber on the biology of mushrooms and how they can break down oil and plastic as well as enhance biofuel production: 

“Imagine taking a walk through the forest. It’s a dimly lit, overcast day, and the ground is moist from days of raining. As you walk underneath the canopy, you spot something interesting on the ground. It’s not a plant, and it’s not an animal, but the brightly colored cap of a freshly sprouted mushroom. Most people’s first instinct would be, “better stay back, it could be toxic.” But if you happened to have a mycologist with you, you might realize that mushrooms like this are being explored on the cutting edge of bioremediation – being used to break down previously harmful materials like oil and plastic…”

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