A high schooler found fungi that eat sunscreen and plastic

Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School in East Honolulu, discovered fungi living in coconut husks that can biodegrade sunscreen and plastic, and she took first place in microbiology at the Hawaiʻi State Science & Engineering Fair. Her work qualified her for the International Science & Engineering Fair in Arizona next May. It started during her sophomore year, when she built an ocean filter to pull microplastics and sunscreen from surface water. The design drew on traditional Polynesian weaving and was made entirely from coconut byproduct waste. Then she realized catching the pollutants was only half the job. Working in Anthony Amend's lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, she found that fungi on the husks break the pollutants down. Genetic testing showed some of the fungal species matched nothing in the world's largest gene database. They may be species no one has named yet. "Having it recognized feels both surreal and deeply rewarding," Wang said.