Hawaii high school student discovers fungi in coconut husks that could clean ocean plastic

Honolulu: An East Honolulu high school student has discovered a fungi in coconut husks that could clean up plastics and sunscreen from the ocean — and won multiple awards for it.

Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School, won 1st place in the Microbiology category at the Hawai’i State Science & Engineering Fair and qualified for the International Science & Engineering Fair in Arizona next May.

Her journey began in sophomore year, when she designed and built an ocean filter inspired by traditional Polynesian weaving, made entirely from coconut byproduct waste, that removed sunscreen and microplastics from surface water.

But removing pollutants was only half the problem. Wang wanted to know how to dispose of them responsibly.”I learned that the pore structure of coconut fiber supports the movement of air and water, which can create a favorable environment for microbes,” Wang said. “That led me to wonder whether coconut husk could do more than physically capture pollutants.”

This year, conducting experiments in Anthony Amend’s lab at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, she began exploring the fungal communities living in coconut husks.

Working closely with graduate student Kaylee Christensen, Wang found that fungi naturally found on coconut husks can biodegrade sunscreen and plastic, and that a tannin compound can be used to identify them. The tannins in the fibers might be encouraging growth of these degraders.

Genetic testing showed some of the species had no match in the world’s largest reference database, indicating they may be previously uncharacterized species.”I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my project in the Amend Lab,” Wang said. “My research would have never, ever, been possible without Anthony and Kaylee.

This project has been part of a much longer journey, so having it recognized feels both surreal and deeply rewarding.””This work was made possible because of Vera’s vision, and it gives me such optimism about the future of science in Hawai’i,” said Amend, based in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center at SOEST. “Her success is a testament to our public school system. I can’t wait to see what discoveries she makes in college.”