In a striking paradox, the fossil fuels we extract today exist because fungi once lacked these abilities. Now, fungi are emerging as the very organisms that can consume plastics and remediate oil ...

An Austin-based startup is selling disposable diapers paired with fungi intended to break down the plastic.

Lots of past studies have explored the potential of plastic-eating fungi and bacteria for bioremediation, but a major hurdle remains: their adaptation and efficient deployment at scale.

Emily Kwong and Regina Barber of NPR's Short Wave talk about a comet visiting from interstellar space, caterpillars that eat and break down plastic, and how animals' sense of smell varies by altitude.

Algae grown under Mars-like conditions could make bioplastic building materials for structures to harbor life in space.

In 2017, a groundbreaking study demonstrated that the caterpillars of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella), known as waxworms, can degrade polyethylene plastic.

Though roughly 700 miles from the Texas border, the New World screwworm poses a significant threat that could impact American beef prices without ever physically crossing into the United States.

The scale of AI's energy demands is unprecedented, but so is the opportunity it creates.

Via a statistical modeling approach, the researchers suggest that eating the recommended five cups of fruit and vegetables per day could improve sleep quality by 16 percent.