Re: Dioxin eating fungus

[Peter Thomas <P_Thomas2@compuserve.com>]

  >Message text written by INTERNET:alanwatson@gn.apc.org
  
  >New Scientist (No 2108, dated 15/11/97) reports (p15) briefly on work by 
  researchers  at Ehime University in Japan who say that "a fungus that 
  normally rots wood has an equally healthy appetite for dioxin.
  
  The report says:
  
  "The fungus was taken from soil at the University's experimental forest.  
  In the lab it broke down 85 % of the dioxin in its surroundings within 15 
  days.  The researchers are now trying to develop a more efficient strain 
  of the fungus"
  
  This looks very interesting - has anybody got any more details?
  
  Best wishes
  
  Alan<
  
  It doesn't suprise me that a fungus that rots wood has the facility to
  break down a dioxin as one of the most common places to find dioxins and
  furans is in the barrier layers that a tree produces when it is damaged.
  These are looked at as providing a fungicidal barrier to prevent rot from
  the damaged portion migrating into the rest of the tree.
  
  A fungus that will break down a tree will have to have evolved mechanisms
  to deal with this type of chemistry.
  
  Some thought would have to be given to the problem of developing a fungus
  with a greater appetite for dioxins and furans. Would these be able to
  destroy the natural barriers of trees and cause minor damage to spread to
  the whole tree?
  <