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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Mitogenomic profiling and gut microbial analysis of the newly identified polystyrene-consuming lesser mealworm in Kenya
ClearIsolation of Plastic Digesting Microbes from the Gastrointestinal Tract of Tenebrio Molitor
Researchers isolated bacteria from the gut of Tenebrio molitor mealworm larvae that are capable of degrading polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics. The identified gut microbes showed plastic-degrading enzymatic activity, suggesting potential for bioremediation applications.
Tenebrio molitor: possible source of polystyrene-degrading bacteria
Researchers identified that Klebsiella oxytoca bacteria, found in the gut of mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor), may be key players in breaking down polystyrene plastic, pointing to insects as a potential source of microbe-based plastic biodegradation solutions.
Optimizing polystyrene degradation, microbial community and metabolite analysis of intestinal flora of yellow mealworms, Tenebrio molitor.
Yellow mealworm larvae fed only expanded polystyrene were found to biodegrade the plastic, with the efficiency depending on temperature and humidity conditions. The gut microbiome of the larvae played a key role, and researchers identified metabolic pathways involved in polystyrene breakdown, advancing understanding of insect-based plastic biodegradation.
Gut microbiome of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor Larvae) show similar responses to polystyrene and corn straw diets
Researchers compared the gut microbiomes of mealworms fed polystyrene plastic versus corn straw and found strikingly similar microbial community responses to both diets. The findings suggest that the ability of mealworm larvae to break down plastics likely evolved from ancient biological mechanisms originally designed to digest natural plant fibers like lignocellulose. The study points to mealworm gut bacteria as a potential resource for developing biological plastic degradation strategies.
Gut Microbiome and Degradation Product Formation during Biodegradation of Expanded Polystyrene by Mealworm Larvae under Different Feeding Strategies
Researchers found that mealworm larvae successfully degrade polystyrene under different feeding strategies, with gut microbiome composition and degradation byproduct profiles varying by diet, demonstrating that diet manipulation can optimize the biological plastic-degradation capacity of the mealworm system.
Polystyrene shaping effect on the enriched bacterial community from the plastic-eating Alphitobius diaperinus (Insecta: Coleoptera)
Researchers enriched and identified bacteria from the gut of polystyrene-fed lesser mealworm beetles, isolating Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas species that attached to plastic surfaces, confirming these microbes as promising candidates for breaking down polystyrene waste.
Polystyrene microplastics biodegradation by gut bacterial Enterobacter hormaechei from mealworms under anaerobic conditions: Anaerobic oxidation and depolymerization
Researchers discovered that the gut bacterium Enterobacter hormaechei from mealworms can oxidize and depolymerize polystyrene microplastics under anaerobic conditions, offering a potential biological approach to plastic waste degradation.
Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Plastic-Eating Tenebrionidae Larvae
Researchers tested the ability of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and superworm (Zophobas morio) larvae to biodegrade polystyrene foam through feeding experiments with different dietary conditions. They found that both species could consume and break down polystyrene, with gut microorganisms playing a key role in the degradation process. The study suggests that insect-based biodegradation could offer a biological approach to addressing polystyrene waste in the environment.
Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Plastic-Eating Tenebrionidae Larvae
Researchers examined the biodegradation of polystyrene by Tenebrionidae beetle larvae, testing the ability of plastic-eating mealworm larvae to break down the highly stable, hydrophobic polymer. The study characterized polymer molecular weight changes, gut microbiome contributions, and metabolic byproducts, demonstrating that larval gut bacteria play a key role in PS depolymerization.
Plastics shape the black soldier fly larvae gut microbiome and select for biodegrading functions
Researchers found that black soldier fly larvae can adapt their gut microbiome to digest a wide range of plastics, shifting their microbial communities to favor biodegrading functions. This suggests the insects could serve as living incubators for discovering new plastic-breaking enzymes for industrial cleanup applications.
Biodegradation of Different Types of Plastics by Tenebrio molitor Insect
This study reviewed the potential of mealworm beetle larvae (Tenebrio molitor) to biodegrade multiple plastic types through gut microbiota activity, finding that the larvae could break down various polymers including polystyrene and polyethylene, making entomoremediation a promising avenue for plastic waste reduction.
Plastic Biodegradation through Insects and their Symbionts Microbes: A Review
This review examines how insects and their gut microbes can break down plastic waste, covering species like mealworms and waxworms that can digest polyethylene and polystyrene. The bacteria living in insect guts are responsible for much of this plastic-degrading activity. Insect-based biodegradation could offer a scalable biological solution to reducing plastic pollution.
Cockroach Blaptica dubia biodegrades polystyrene plastics: Insights for superior ability, microbiome and host genes
Researchers discovered that the cockroach species Blaptica dubia can effectively biodegrade polystyrene plastic, digesting nearly half of ingested material within 24 hours. They identified specific gut bacteria and enzymes responsible for breaking down the plastic polymer chains. The finding opens up new possibilities for biological approaches to plastic waste management using insect-microbiome systems.
Complete digestion/biodegradation of polystyrene microplastics by greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae: Direct in vivo evidence, gut microbiota independence, and potential metabolic pathways
Researchers provided direct in vivo evidence that greater wax moth larvae can completely digest polystyrene microplastics, demonstrating that biodegradation occurs independently of gut microbiota and identifying potential metabolic pathways involved in the breakdown process.
Biodegradation of polystyrene microplastics by superworms (larve of Zophobas atratus): Gut microbiota transition, and putative metabolic ways
Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to superworms (Zophobas atratus larvae) and found reduced survival and weight, along with major shifts in gut microbial communities including an increase in Hafnia-Obesumbacterium. Metabolomic analysis identified three metabolic pathways through which superworm gut microbes break down polystyrene.
Understanding the Ecological Robustness and Adaptability of the Gut Microbiome in Plastic-Degrading Superworms (Zophobas atratus) in Response to Microplastics and Antibiotics
Researchers studied superworms (Zophobas atratus larvae) that can eat and break down five major types of plastic, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. They found that the gut microbiome of these insects adapted to digest different plastics even when challenged with antibiotics, suggesting the larvae and their gut bacteria work together in a robust system that could inform future plastic biodegradation strategies.
Isolation of culturable bacteria from gut of Zophobasmorio fed with polystyrene
Researchers isolated bacteria from the gut of Zophobas morio larvae fed polystyrene, identifying microbial communities that can survive on and potentially degrade styrofoam, offering candidates for bioremediation of difficult-to-recycle plastic waste.
Responses of gut microbiomes to commercial polyester polymer biodegradation in Tenebrio molitor Larvae
Researchers demonstrated that mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) can rapidly biodegrade commercial polyethylene terephthalate microplastics, with gut microbiome analysis revealing specific bacterial communities that shift in response to PET consumption and enable its breakdown.
Feeding and metabolism effects of three common microplastics on Tenebrio molitor L.
Mealworm larvae from three Chinese regions were fed microplastics (polystyrene, PVC, and LDPE) and were found to actually break down some of the plastic in their gut. The ability of mealworms to partially degrade certain plastics makes them a potential tool for biological plastic waste management.
Mitigation of Soil Pollution by Biodegradation of Plastic Materials through Activity of Mealworms
This review examines how mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) can biodegrade plastics including polystyrene and polyethylene, and discusses their use in circular production systems. Insect-based plastic biodegradation represents a promising biological approach to reducing plastic waste before it fragments into microplastics in the environment.
Host metabolic integration enables superior polystyrene degradation in cockroaches
Scientists found that cockroaches can break down plastic much faster than other insects—eating and digesting polystyrene (a common plastic) more than 10 times faster than previously studied bugs like mealworms. The cockroaches work together with bacteria in their guts to completely break down the plastic into harmless substances. This discovery could lead to new ways to reduce plastic pollution, which is important since plastic waste harms our environment and can end up in our food and water.
Mite-microbe gut symbiosis: Novel concept for plastic degradation and waste management
Researchers propose a novel concept for plastic biodegradation based on mite-microbe gut symbiosis, building on three years of research exploring whether soil microarthropods (mites) and their gut microbial communities could degrade plastic materials. The paper reviews existing evidence on bacterial and fungal plastic degradation and discusses preliminary findings suggesting that mites ingesting microplastics may harbor gut symbionts capable of contributing to plastic breakdown.
Novel insights into insect mediated polystyrene biodegradation through bacterial genome analyses
Researchers sequenced the genome of Stenotrophomonas indicatrix, a bacterium isolated from the gut of plastic-eating beetle larvae, and confirmed it carries all the genes needed to break down styrene — the building block of polystyrene plastic — into usable energy, advancing the search for biological solutions to plastic waste.
Polystyrene degradation by bacteria isolated from the larvae of Rhynchophorusphoenicis
Researchers investigated the polystyrene (PS) biodegradation capability of bacteria isolated from the gut of African palm weevil larvae (Rhynchophorus phoenicis), feeding 100 larvae on PS foam for 21 days and then screening gut bacterial isolates for degradation activity in flask-based assays. The study identified PS-degrading bacterial strains from R. phoenicis gut contents, expanding the known range of insect species whose gut microbiota can break down synthetic plastics.