Homo sapiens

February 22nd.

Japan.

Kyoto Institute of Technology.

In a biological laboratory, Professor Yoshida Shosuke, who has long been engaged in the field of plastic decomposing fungi, is leading several researchers to conduct experiments.

Professor Yoshida has conducted very in-depth research in the field of plastic-decomposing fungi and is also a frequent guest in major biological journals. In 2017, he even had a paper on a fungus that quickly decomposes plastic, and his paper was published in Science.

Now that Homo sapiens has decided to release plastic-decomposing fungi, it will naturally not do so casually.

This big blame cannot be picked up by just any cat or dog. 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, Japanese people have indeed done a lot of research and even achieved a lot of results.

For example, Professor Yoshida in front of me 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 a predetermined plastic sample.

He also published this paper in Science.

Chen Jianxiong was overjoyed when he saw it.

good! very good! You are the one!

And choosing Japan as the first release area has another advantage.

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 the East Japan, and the Japanese warm current will move 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 spitting liquid into the surrounding plastic pipes. Hidden in the liquid was a fungus similar to the plastic-decomposing fungus discovered by Professor Yoshida.

This is a plastic fungus transformed by Li Qingye himself through genetic recombination technology.

Considering that the previous variety decomposed plastic too quickly, Li Qingye inserted five specialized suppressor genes again to limit its decomposition ability.

Plastic fungi can only grow in environments above 22 degrees Celsius, with air humidity greater than 50%, and are easily killed by ultraviolet rays. Potassium permanganate and copper hydroxide can inhibit their reproduction.

In the most suitable environment, its decomposition rate for ordinary polyethylene is 8 months; for natural rubber, it is 34 months; for other types of plastics, its decomposition rate is 10 to 28 months.

If the temperature and humidity are not suitable for high latitudes, high altitudes, or deserts, the decomposition rate will drop several times or even dozens of times.

After all, simply relying on the restriction that temperatures above 22 degrees Celsius will breed plastic fungi can suppress the massive spread of plastic fungi in winter in mid- and high-latitude areas.

At this point, Li Qingye is a little bit kind, otherwise he could have released the original variety, which would be the real cruelty.

With temperature restrictions in place, it is the tropics that are most affected.

But in the tropics, the headquarters of the Homo sapiens company is in Southeast Asia, South Asia is Tianzhu, Africa is primitive, and Latin America is just an economic colony of America.

Plastic products in these areas have been affected, but the problem is actually not too serious. As for cables, inhibitors can be added to extend their service life.

In fact, the decomposition speed of plastic decomposing bacteria is not as fast as imagined.

Because many plastic products are not films and plastic bags, but thick tires and the like, fungi can only quickly decompose the surface layer, while the plastic inside will slow down as the thickness increases due to insufficient oxygen and moisture. .

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 beginning, Li Qingye only wanted to eliminate the microplastics that spread into nature. There was still a certain limit to the plastic products currently used in human society.

…

Inside Professor Yoshida's laboratory.

The cockroaches that had completed their mission had 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 and Textile along with the air circulation system.

At this time, the temperature in Japan is rising rapidly. As Japan approaches March, 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, did not know that a black pot was flying towards him.

Until a week later.

Assistant Xiaochi Yezi hurried in: "Professor, there is something wrong with the laboratory sample."

"Nani? What's wrong?" Professor Yoshida quickly put down the thermos cup in his hand.

"The decomposition speed of samples No. 23 to 34 has changed somewhat, and some white mycelium has grown."

Professor Yoshida asked strangely: "Isn't this a normal phenomenon? Plastic decomposing bacteria grow mycelium! What's all the fuss about?"

Xiaochi Yezi hurriedly explained: "But the hyphae morphology of those samples is different from the previous ones."

"A natural mutant strain 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 inside of the fermentation glass tanks, the plastic bottles and the plastic bottle caps were all covered with white patches.

The diameter of these white patches is about 1 to 3 centimeters, and small hyphae extend around them and are connected to other white patches.

Professor Yoshida raised his glasses: "There is indeed something different. I will collect some samples and conduct genetic testing."

"Hi! Professor!"

Soon several researchers extracted five samples from several samples and began genetic testing.

Through an electron microscope, Professor Yoshida saw these "newly mutated" plastic-decomposing bacteria, and their morphology was indeed somewhat different from the strains he had studied before.

He looked at the picture on the computer and muttered to himself: "Is it really a mutant strain? I hope it is a good mutation."

The entire laboratory has become very busy because of these newly emerged mutated fungi.

After all, if they really research something, they might be able to gain both fame and fortune.

Japan's economy is now almost in a state of collapse. Funding for many laboratories has been cut, and many researchers have gone their separate ways.

Either going to Homo sapiens company, or being sucked away by the Far East and America.

Many Japanese people who are willing to stay now are those with better family environment. They are used to growing up in Japan and have no intention of leaving.

Including Professor Yoshida, they have a lot of property, and neither Intelligent Company nor America is very attractive to them.

Even some Japanese people with more traditional ideas still think that those who run away are a bunch of trash and traitors.

This situation is actually very normal and unavoidable.

The few researchers who stayed behind were secretly thinking that they should work harder this time, hoping that they could follow Professor Yoshida in the last "Science" and make those researchers who left regret their original choice.

But they didn't know that they were not sure whether it would be published in "Science" this time, but it would be no problem to make international headlines.

At this time, plastic-decomposing 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.

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