Engineers grow edible plastic from useless junk using yeast-like fungus

Biophelion, a German biotech startup spun off from the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, has developed an innovative biotechnological process that uses a black yeast-like fungus to convert carbon-rich industrial waste into valuable, recyclable materials. This fungus, notable for thriving in extreme and toxic environments, metabolizes waste streams from industries such as bioethanol production, sugar processing, and paper manufacturing, transforming embedded carbon into useful compounds rather than allowing it to escape as CO2. The startup’s approach aims to decarbonize the chemical industry—a significant global CO2 emitter—by producing bio-based polyester for packaging, the edible polymer pullulan used in food, and a novel biodegradable surfactant still under research. Biophelion is exploring novel applications for these materials, including using pullulan as a sustainable 3D printing material to potentially replace petroleum-based plastics in additive manufacturing. Long-term visions include producing 3D-printed bioreactors from pullulan that could