AN EXPERIMENT ON THE BREAKDOWN OF PLASTIC, DESIGNED BY THREE CCAC STUDENTS, IS BEING TESTED ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. | PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

A science experiment designed by three Community College of Allegheny County students was aboard the latest SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched Monday night from Florida’s Cape Canaveral.

It was part of 6,000 pounds of cargo and 25 scientific experiments aboard the 31st robotic resupply mission to the International Space Station. It was expected to arrive at the orbiting outpost Tuesday morning.

CCAC students Maya Burns, Faith Dunn and Connor McDonagh submitted their experiment in 2023 to the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program to be part of a future mission. The experiment aims to test how microgravity affects how a fungus — Penicillium chrysogenum — breaks down a common plastic, polyester-polyurethane.

“We know that this fungus can degrade polyurethane,” Burns said in an interview with WESA-FM. “We’re wondering how microgravity on the International Space Station would affect its growth and how quickly it degrades. So the hope is that it’s possible that it would degrade polyurethane quicker.” 

She’s now a sophomore studying molecular biology at the University of Pittsburgh. 

FROM L TO R: PATRICIA DONEHUE (CCAC FACULTY MENTOR), ANNE DUFFY (CCAC FACULTY MENTOR), STUDENTS FAITH DUNN, MAYA BURNS AND CONNOR MCDONAGH AND CCAC PRESIDENT QUINTON BULLOCK. | PHOTO COURTESY CCAC

Scientists have been looking for ways to break down plastic, the bulk of which ends up in landfills and pollutes land, water and air. They have found that several organisms are able to break down plastic polyurethane into smaller, recyclable chemical compounds.

While their experiment is being conducted on the space station, Burns, Dunn and McDonagh will be running a control experiment here. When the experiment returns to earth, they’ll compare the results to see if there is any difference in how quickly the fungus broke down the plastic.