 There
are three major groups of fungi:
Moulds (usually
found growing on something
old at the back of the fridge)
Yeasts (like the antibiotic penicillin)
Mushrooms
(shiitake etc)
Whilst they all have differing
properties, they are generally all capable of decaying organic
matter, as a means of accessing required nutrients.
In fact
the degrading ability of fungi is the area that holds the interest
for scientists today. Lignin is one of three components of
plant cell walls (the others being cellulose and hemicellulose),
and is a complex polymer which provides the strength and support
for trees; it is in fact wood as we know it. However whilst
it is of great use to all plants, it is a source of irritation
for most other microorganisms who try to access the nutrients
inside the plant, but are foiled by its protective barrier. In
fact there is only one type of microorganism that can degrade
lignin…
Yep, you guessed it…
In fact
it is mainly white rot fungi, and this amazing ability is where
the focus of research is taking place today. For while lignin
degradation is important, it is the similarity of lignin to other
chemical structures that offers the potential to scientists and
environmentalists worldwide.
There
are many sources of pollution in the world today, but one of the
worst types are organopollutants, chemicals that persist in the
environment for a long time and hold many dangers for humans and
animals, for example pesticides like DDT (supposedly prohibited
in use worldwide), and creosote, a wood preservative. These
organopollutants share structural similarities to lignin, and
this is what scientists are exploiting by using fungi to degrade
these organopollutants.
The potential that is offered by
these fungi is enormous- lignin and its related structures are
abundant around the world, and they are not only a source of
pollution but of great waste as seen in the agricultural industry.
So are these the fungi for the future?
Back to top
|
