Unnatural stuff
Ever had to deal with tiny polystyrene balls clinging to your carpet? Or admired the neat narrow grooves stamped onto a vinyl record? Perhaps you have just acquired a sleek viscose shirt. Polystyrene, PVC, vinyl, acrylic, rayon, viscose, nylon, PET, polyester - these are words we never think twice about as they slip into a conversation. Epoxy resin and polyurethane are another two, although perhaps less well known. Others are hidden behind more descriptive names such as the popular cling film we wrap around food, which is made out of polyethylene. And there are many more. Their common denominator? Each of these materials are manmade polymers. In other words, they are artificial; Nature does not provide them. However, she can come up with some of the building blocks. Itaconic acid is one, and was first discovered in the fungus Aspergillus itaconicus which was named after it. Today, widely used in the synthesis of polymers to make lubricants, thickeners, rubber or resins for example, itaconic acid is provided in quantity by Aspergillus terreus - with the help of an enzyme known as CAD, or cis-aconitic acid decarboxylase.
