Booth Id:
MCRO045T
Category:
Microbiology
Year:
2023
Finalist Names:
Condeixa, Sarah (School: Escola Secundaria Dr. Manuel Candeias Goncalves)
Gomes, Valentina (School: Escola Secundaria Dr. Manuel Candeias Goncalves)
Abstract:
The following questions were made:
(A) Will plastics that have been in nature for a long time possess a microfilm of fungi capable of
digesting synthetic polymers? In Sabouraud culture medium with antibiotic, we inoculated pieces of plastic that was decaying in soil. We inoculated on PDA the fungi that grew on the medium and incubated them with polyethylene strips of know weight.
(B) Do the fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor, which are for sale in the Portuguese market (used in food) also have this capacity? We inserted pieces of polyethylene of known weight into two substrates (poor and rich nutrients) inoculated with Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor, separately. We compared the weight loss of the polyethylene in these treatments with the control (uninoculated). The results show potential of Trametes versicolor for polyethylene degradation, unlike Pleurotus ostreatus. Unexpected results show this potential for Penicillium sp.