Chapter 369: Please Take the Pot
February 22nd.
Japan.
Kyoto Institute of Technology.
In a biological laboratory, Professor Shosuke Yoshida, who has long been engaged in the research field of plastic-degrading fungi, is conducting experiments with several researchers.
Professor Yoshida has conducted in-depth research in the field of plastic-degrading fungi and is a frequent contributor to major biological journals. In 2017, his paper on a fungus that quickly decomposes plastic was even published in Science.
Now that Sapiens has decided to release plastic-decomposing fungi, it will not do so casually.
This huge scapegoat cannot be taken by just anyone. We must find a suitable person to take the blame.
After careful screening, the Field Division finally set its sights on Japan, because in this field, the Japanese have indeed done a lot of research and even achieved a lot of results.
For example, Professor Yoshida has studied a fungus that can quickly decompose plastic. It only needs to be in a humid environment of 29 degrees Celsius in about 6 weeks to decompose the predetermined plastic sample.
He also published this paper in Science.
When Chen Jianxiong saw it, he was overjoyed.
Good! Very good! You are the one!
There is another advantage to choosing Japan as the first release area.
That is because it is the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The Siberian high pressure still controls central and northern Asia, the northwest wind blows from Japan, and the Japanese warm current moves towards the Bering Sea and North America.
Inside Professor Yoshida's laboratory.
At this time, dozens of cockroaches entered the air circulation duct of the laboratory.
The cockroaches began to spit liquid into the surrounding plastic pipes, which contained a type of fungus similar to the plastic-decomposing fungus discovered by Professor Yoshida.
This is a plastic fungus that was transformed by Li Qingye himself through genetic recombination technology.
Considering that the previous varieties decomposed plastic too quickly, Li Qingye again inserted five special inhibitory genes to limit its decomposition ability.
Plastic fungi can only grow in an environment above 22 degrees Celsius and with air humidity greater than 50%. They are easily killed by ultraviolet rays. Potassium permanganate and copper hydroxide can inhibit their reproduction.
Under the most suitable conditions, the decomposition rate for ordinary polyethylene is 8 months; the decomposition rate for natural rubber is 34 months; and for other types of plastics, the decomposition rate is 10 to 28 months.
If the temperature and humidity are not suitable in high latitudes, high altitudes or deserts, the decomposition rate will drop several times or even dozens of times.
After all, the temperature above 22 degrees Celsius alone will limit its reproduction, and the winter in mid- and high-latitude areas can suppress the massive spread of plastic fungi.
In this regard, Li Qingye was still a little kind, otherwise he could have released the original species, which was truly cruel.
With temperature limits, it is the tropical regions that are most affected.
But in the tropical regions, the headquarters of the Homo sapiens company is in Southeast Asia, South Asia is India, Africa is inhabited by primitive people, and Latin America is just an economic colony of America.
The impact on plastic products in these areas is actually not too serious. As for cables and the like, their service life can be extended by adding inhibitors.
In fact, the decomposition speed of plastic decomposing bacteria is not as fast as imagined.
Because many plastic products are not films or plastic bags, but relatively thick tires, fungi can only quickly decompose the surface layer. The decomposition rate of the plastic inside will slow down as the thickness increases due to lack of oxygen and water.
This is like a piece of paper and a book. In the same environment, the surface of the book and the paper age at about the same rate, but the paper inside the book ages several times slower.
From the very beginning, Li Qingye just wanted to eliminate the microplastics that spread into the nature, but he still set a limit on the plastic products currently used by human society.
…
Inside Professor Yoshida's laboratory.
Those cockroaches that completed their mission have disappeared without a trace.
But the plastic fungi they left behind began to spread throughout the laboratory and even the entire Kyoto Institute of Technology through the air circulation system.
At this time, the temperature in Japan is rising rapidly. As March approaches in Japan, coupled with the blessing of the Japanese warm current , the daytime temperature in Tokyo is actually higher than 22 degrees Celsius.
Professor Yoshida, who was still immersed in research in the laboratory, had no idea that a blame was flying towards him.
Until a week later.
Assistant Xiaochi Ye Zi came in hurriedly: "Professor, there is a problem with the laboratory samples."
"What? What's the problem?" Professor Yoshida quickly put down the thermos in his hand.
"The decomposition speed of samples 23 to 34 has changed, and some white mycelium has grown."
Professor Yoshida asked curiously, "Isn't this normal? Plastic-decomposing bacteria will grow hyphae! What's the big deal?"
Xiaochi Yezi hurriedly explained: "But the mycelium morphology of those samples is different from the previous ones."
"A natural variant has appeared?" Professor Yoshida showed a hint of excitement.
Then he went straight to the laboratory with his assistant.
After arriving at the laboratory, he saw that the fermentation glass jars, plastic bottles and plastic bottle caps were all covered with white spots .
The diameter of these white patches is about 1 to 3 centimeters, and they have tiny hyphae extending around them, connecting with other white patches.
Professor Yoshida raised his glasses and said, "There are indeed some differences. Collect some samples and I will do genetic testing."
"Hi! Professor!"
Soon, several researchers extracted 5 samples from several samples and began genetic testing.
Through an electron microscope, Professor Yoshida saw that the morphology of these "new mutant" plastic-decomposing bacteria was indeed different from the species he had studied before.
He looked at the screen on the computer and muttered to himself, "Is it really a mutant? I hope it's a good mutation."
The entire laboratory became very busy because of these newly emerged mutant fungi.
After all, if they really figured out something, they might be able to gain both fame and fortune.
Japan's economy is now on the verge of collapse. Funding for many laboratories has been cut, and many researchers have gone their separate ways.
Either they went to Homo Sapiens, or they were sucked away by the Far East and America.
Many of the Japanese who are willing to stay now are from relatively good family backgrounds. They are used to being the middle class in Japan and have no intention of leaving at all.
Including people like Professor Yoshida, they have considerable wealth, and neither the intelligentsia nor America are very attractive to them.
Even some Japanese people with more traditional ideas still think that those who left are a bunch of trash and traitors.
This situation is actually very normal and difficult to avoid.
The few researchers who stayed behind were secretly thinking that they should work harder this time, hoping to go to Science with Professor Yoshida and make those researchers who left regret their original choice.
But they don’t know whether they can be published in Science this time, but there is no problem in making international headlines .
At this time, plastic-degrading bacteria have spread from Kyoto Institute of Technology to the entire Tokyo metropolitan area, and are rapidly spreading in all directions along with transport ships and ocean currents.
The countdown to an unstoppable plastic crisis has begun.
