by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
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A fungus, called Metarhizium robertsii, is reportedly able to remove mercury<\/strong> around plant roots, thus preventing its uptake. The remediation operation, moreover, occurs as much in the soil as in fresh or salt water. These findings come from a study<\/a> published in recent weeks in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).<\/p>\n The fungus analyzed “stops plants from taking up mercury” Raymond St. Leger<\/strong>, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and co-author of the study with researchers at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, explained<\/a> in a statement. “Despite being planted in polluted soil, the plant grows normally and is edible.”<\/p>\n