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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Plastic-Eating Tenebrionidae Larvae
ClearBiodegradation 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.
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.
Biodegradation of aged polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics by yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae)
Yellow mealworm larvae were able to consume and biodegrade both fresh and aged polyethylene film and polystyrene foam over a 35-day period. While aged plastics slightly slowed larval growth, the worms still broke down the plastic with help from their gut bacteria, confirmed by chemical analysis showing structural changes in the consumed plastic. This biological approach to plastic degradation could help reduce the amount of plastic waste that eventually breaks down into microplastics in the environment.
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.
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.
Biodegradation of Post-Consumer Expanded Polystyrene and Low-Density Polyethylene by Tenebrio molitor Larvae
Scientists found that mealworms (beetle larvae) can actually break down used plastic bags and foam containers by eating them and changing their chemical structure. The mealworms produce waste that contains smaller plastic pieces and chemical compounds, which could potentially reduce plastic pollution in the environment. This research is important because it shows a natural way to help deal with the massive amounts of plastic waste that currently pile up in landfills and oceans.
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.
Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Tenebrio molitor, Galleria mellonella, and Zophobas atratus Larvae and Comparison of Their Degradation Effects
Researchers compared polystyrene biodegradation by three insect larvae species, finding that superworms consumed the most plastic and converted it most efficiently into low-molecular-weight substances, while all three species harbored gut bacteria from the genera Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae that appear to drive the degradation process.
Isolation 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.
Changes in Intestinal Microbiota Due to the Expanded Polystyrene Diet of Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor)
Researchers found that mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) fed expanded polystyrene (EPS) showed significant changes in intestinal microbiota composition compared to controls, suggesting gut microbiome shifts accompany the biological degradation of polystyrene microplastics.
Influence of Polymer Size on Polystyrene Biodegradation in Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor): Responses of Depolymerization Pattern, Gut Microbiome, and Metabolome to Polymers with Low to Ultrahigh Molecular Weight
Mealworms fed polystyrene microplastics of varying molecular weights (low to ultrahigh) over 24 days showed significant differences in biodegradation rate, gut microbiome composition, and metabolic profiles. Lower molecular weight polystyrene was biodegraded more efficiently, suggesting that polymer molecular weight is a key factor in insect-mediated plastic degradation.
Effects of plastic aging on biodegradation of polystyrene by Tenebrio molitor larvae: Insights into gut microbiome and bacterial metabolism
Researchers showed that UV and freeze-thaw pretreatment of polystyrene microplastics modestly improved biodegradation by mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), but more notably reshaped the larvae's gut microbial communities and associated metabolic gene profiles, suggesting that plastic aging mainly affects how the gut microbiome adapts rather than dramatically changing degradation rates.
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.
Generation and Fate of Nanoplastics in the Intestine of Plastic-Degrading Insect (Tenebrio molitor Larvae) during Polystyrene Microplastic Biodegradation
Researchers tracked what happens to nanoplastics inside mealworm larvae as they digest polystyrene microplastics. They found that nanoplastics were generated during digestion and initially accumulated in gut tissues and glands, but concentrations declined over four weeks and eventually fell below detection limits, suggesting the larvae and their gut microbes can work together to break down even these tiny plastic particles.
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.
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.
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.
The interplay of larval age and particle size regulates micro-polystyrene biodegradation and development of Tenebrio molitor L.
Researchers found that three-month-old mealworm larvae are optimal for polystyrene microplastic biodegradation, showing the highest consumption rates and confirmed depolymerization in their frass, with comparable survival to control groups when co-fed with wheat bran.
Polyurethane Foam Residue Biodegradation through the Tenebrio molitor Digestive Tract: Microbial Communities and Enzymatic Activity
Researchers found that mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) could biodegrade polyurethane foam by 35% within 17 days, with the process driven by changes in gut bacterial communities and enzymatic activity that break down the complex polymer structure.
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.