Can mushrooms replace Styrofoam and keep the oceans cleaner?

July 30, 2019

麻豆原创A鈥檚 Philippe Amstislavski with Alaska Sea Grant鈥檚 Chris Sannito and Quentin Fong, of 麻豆原创F College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center.

A 麻豆原创 Anchorage researcher who hopes to curb ocean pollution thinks fungi might have a useful role to play.

麻豆原创A professor Philippe Amstislavski holds a sample of a shipping container insulated with biodegradable mushroom tissue. Photo courtesy of Philippe Amstislavski.

Philippe Amstislavski, an associate professor of public health at 麻豆原创A, is experimenting with using mushrooms to create biodegradable insulation, shipping material and other environmentally friendly products.

Alaska Sea Grant, a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 麻豆原创F, is helping to measure the material鈥檚 thermal properties at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center, a research facility operated by the 麻豆原创F College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.

Chris Sannito, ASG鈥檚 seafood technology specialist, is also coordinating commercial shipping trials for the material. Some fishermen are excited to give the mushroom-based product a try. Read more in this recent .