For her research on fungi that can degrade plastic and sunscreen, Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School, won in multiple categories at the for her research conducted in ¡¯s lab at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Mānoa. Wang¡¯s project earned 1st place Best in Category (Microbiology), 3rd place Best in Fair, a special award from the Friends of Hanauma Bay, a special award from Association for Women Geoscientist, and a scholarship award from the McInerny Foundation. She also qualified for the International Science & Engineering Fair, which will take place in May in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my project in the Amend Lab,” said Wang, who worked closely with Kaylee Christensen, a graduate student in the Marine Biology Graduate Program. “My research would have never, ever, been possible without Anthony and Kaylee. This project has been part of a much longer journey, so having it recognized feels both surreal and deeply rewarding.”
“This work was made possible because of Vera¡¯s vision, and it gives me such optimism about the future of science in Â鶹´«Ã½,” said Amend, who is based in the at (SOEST). “Her success is a testament to our public school system which is doing a wonderful job supporting and training our next generation of students. I can¡¯t wait to see what discoveries she makes in college!”
Coconuts, fungus vs. plastic, sunscreen
During her sophomore year, Wang designed and built an ocean filter that removed sunscreen and microplastics from the surface water that was inspired by traditional Polynesian weaving while incorporating modern environmental science. It was not only scientifically effective, but—made entirely from coconut byproducts—also environmentally responsible across its full life cycle. But Wang realized that removing the pollutants from water is only part of the problem. The next challenge she considered was how to dispose of them responsibly.
“I learned that the pore structure of coconut fiber supports the movement of air and water, which can create a favorable environment for microbes,” Wang said. “That led me to wonder whether coconut husk could do more than physically capture pollutants. So this year, my research at the Amend Lab began exploring the fungal communities living in coconut husks and studying their growth and degradation abilities on sunscreen and plastic media.”
They discovered that fungi found naturally on coconut husks can biodegrade (decompose) sunscreen and plastic and that a tannin compound can be used to identify sunscreen- and plastic-degrading fungi. Christensen shared that the tannins present in the fibers might be encouraging growth of these complex degraders. Additionally, their genetic testing showed that some of the fungal species did not have a match to anything in the world¡¯s largest reference database of known genes and genomes, indicating that these may be previously uncharacterized species.
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