Fungal Bioremediation of Human Solid Waste
Primary Submission Contact
Alexander Mehreteab
Faculty Sponsor
Micheal Kevin Watters
Faculty Sponsor Email Address
Micheal.Watters@valpo.edu
College
Arts and Sciences
Department/Program
Biology
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Date
Fall 10-30-2015
Abstract
The accumulation of solid human waste is a major problem for long-term space expeditions. Fungal bioremediation of solid waste could provide a solution to this problem. Filamentous fungi can be used to biodegrade human solid waste. We report here the comparison of a variety of wild-type filamentous fungi for their ability to rapidly degrade solid waste. Certain strains of wild-type filamentous fungi, such a Neurospora crassa and Gelanispora cerealis, yielded waste to fungal-mass conversion rates of over 60 percent in seven days. Several strains, includingNeurospora crassa, are edible and average about 50 percent amino acid content by mass, potentially providing a high-protein food generated in-flight to explorers of the final frontier.
Recommended Citation
Mehreteab, Alexander; Stewart, John; Johnson, Mark; and Watters, Micheal Kevin, "Fungal Bioremediation of Human Solid Waste" (2015). Fall Interdisciplinary Research Symposium. 32.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/fires/32
Additional Presentation Information
Wall Poster
