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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Comparison study on low-density polyethylene film biodegradation potential of Achoria grisella and Galleria mellonella larvae
ClearComparison of three insect larvae biodegrading polyethylene and role of the intestinal bacterial strains in polyethylene degradation by Galleria mellonella larvae
Compared to two other insect species, Galleria mellonella waxworm larvae showed the highest polyethylene degradation ability, with gut bacterial strains identified as key contributors to plastic breakdown in a process transferable outside the host.
Beyond Microbial Biodegradation: Plastic Degradation by Galleria mellonella
Researchers reviewed the ability of the wax moth larva Galleria mellonella to degrade various types of plastic, including polyethylene. The study highlights this insect as one of the most promising biological approaches to plastic waste degradation, as it produces enzymes capable of breaking down polyethylene, offering a potential complement to microbial biodegradation strategies.
Biodegradation of Polyethylene by Enterobacter sp. D1 from the Guts of Wax Moth Galleria mellonella
Researchers isolated the bacterium Enterobacter sp. D1 from the gut of wax moth larvae and found it capable of biodegrading polyethylene film. After 14 days of cultivation, the bacteria formed colonies on the plastic surface and caused visible damage including roughness and cracks. The study suggests that gut bacteria from plastic-consuming insects could offer potential avenues for developing biological approaches to plastic waste management.
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.
Biodegradation of Polyethylene and Polystyrene by Greater Wax Moth Larvae (Galleria mellonella L.) and the Effect of Co-diet Supplementation on the Core Gut Microbiome
This study tested whether co-feeding larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella with supplementary diet could enhance survival while maintaining their ability to biodegrade polyethylene and polystyrene plastics. The results show that larvae can degrade both polymer types when fed co-diets, offering a potential avenue for biological plastic breakdown.
Technological application potential of polyethylene and polystyrene biodegradation by macro-organisms such as mealworms and wax moth larvae
Researchers tested polyethylene biodegradation by mealworms and wax moth larvae across multiple experimental setups, finding that while live larvae altered LDPE surface morphology, homogenized larval paste produced no detectable mass loss or ethylene glycol, suggesting a mechanism beyond gut microbiome action alone. Techno-economic and life cycle assessment analysis indicated that scaling this process as a plastic waste management technology is currently not feasible.
Can the insects Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor be the future of plastic biodegradation?
This review examines recent discoveries about how wax moth and mealworm larvae can break down common plastics using enzymes in their saliva and gut microorganisms. Researchers found that these insects offer a promising biological alternative to traditional plastic disposal methods like landfilling and incineration, which themselves contribute to microplastic pollution. The study highlights key challenges including the need for standardized testing methods and proposes innovative ideas like using insects as living bioreactors for plastic waste processing.
Environmental Biotechnology: Biodegradation of Microplastics with Larvae of Tenebrio Molitor and Galleria Mellonella
Researchers tested the ability of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae to biodegrade microplastics collected from a Peruvian beach, finding that both species could partially degrade plastic samples, supporting insect larvae as a promising biotechnology for microplastic remediation.
Using Insect Larvae and Their Microbiota for Plastic Degradation
This review summarizes research on insect larvae, including wax worms and mealworms, that can eat and break down plastic using bacteria and enzymes in their guts. Recent discoveries include novel plastic-degrading enzymes found in wax worm saliva that can begin breaking down polyethylene within hours. While still far from a large-scale solution, this biological approach to plastic degradation could eventually help reduce the microplastic pollution that threatens ecosystems and human health.
Physicochemical and structural evidence that Bacillus cereus isolated from the gut of waxworms (Galleria mellonella larvae) biodegrades polypropylene efficiently in vitro
Researchers isolated Bacillus cereus from the gut of Galleria mellonella (waxworm) larvae and demonstrated its ability to efficiently biodegrade polypropylene in vitro, confirming surface degradation via scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, with implications for microbial approaches to plastic waste management.
Consumption of polypropylene by Galleria mellonella (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) larvae did not cause degenerative changes in internal organs
This study found that greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae can consume polypropylene plastic without suffering organ damage, confirming that this insect species tolerates plastic ingestion well and supporting its potential use in biodegradation applications. The gut microbiome is believed responsible for breaking down the plastic, pointing toward a biological route for reducing polypropylene waste that is the precursor to significant environmental microplastic contamination.
The use of insects, some land and marine invertebrates, in the biodegradation of plastic
This review examines the potential of insects and invertebrates—including mealworms, wax moths, and shipworms—to biodegrade plastics, microplastics, and nanoplastics, summarizing the gut microbiomes and enzymes involved and the prospects for practical bioremediation.
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.
The Ability of Insects to Degrade Complex Synthetic Polymers
This review synthesizes research on insect-mediated biodegradation of synthetic polymers, examining species from Coleopteran and Lepidopteran orders — including mealworms, wax moths, and flour beetles — whose gut microbial symbionts enable breakdown of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyurethane, and PVC into lower molecular weight, less toxic excreta.
Biodegradation of polyethylene, biodegradable-polyethylene bags and corn residues using Tenebrio molitor larvae
This Spanish-language study tested the ability of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) to biodegrade different types of polyethylene plastic, including conventional LDPE and biodegradable varieties. The larvae could degrade all plastic types tested, suggesting insect-based digestion as a viable plastic waste management strategy.
Nature’s solution to degrade long-chain hydrocarbons: A life cycle study of beeswax and plastic eating insect larvae
Researchers examined the lifecycle stages of three beeswax-eating insect larvae species (Galleria mellonella, Achroia grisella, and Uloma sp.) and measured their ability to degrade beeswax, polyethylene, and polystyrene under laboratory conditions. They found that all three insect larvae caused measurable weight loss in polyethylene and polystyrene feeds over time, confirming biodegradation capacity and identifying these species as potential biological agents for plastic waste degradation.
Physicochemical and Structural Evidence that Bacillus cereus Isolated from the Gut of Waxworms (Galleria mellonella Larvae) Biodegrades Polypropylene Efficiently In Vitro
Researchers isolated Bacillus cereus bacteria from waxworm gut microbiota and demonstrated that it biodegrades polypropylene plastic in vitro by oxidizing the polymer surface to form carbonyl and hydroxyl groups, with high-temperature gel permeation chromatography confirming measurable molecular weight reduction — pointing to potential enzymes for future plastic-degradation applications.
Biodegradation of various grades of polyethylene microplastics by Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus larvae: Effects on their physiology
Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus) were fed different grades of polyethylene plastic to test their ability to biodegrade this common plastic. Both species could consume and partially break down all three types of polyethylene, though the process caused oxidative stress and shifted their gut bacteria. This research suggests biological degradation of plastic waste is possible, which could help reduce the environmental breakdown of plastics into harmful microplastics.
Wax worm saliva and the enzymes therein are the key to polyethylene degradation by Galleria mellonella
Researchers discovered that the saliva of wax worm larvae (Galleria mellonella) can oxidize and begin breaking down polyethylene plastic within hours at room temperature, identifying two specific enzymes responsible — the first animal-derived enzymes known to initiate plastic degradation, offering a promising biological tool for tackling plastic waste.
Microplastics occurrence, detection and removal with emphasis on insect larvae gut microbiota
This review covers the sources, detection methods, and toxic effects of microplastics across ecosystems, with a special focus on insect larvae gut microbiota as a biological degradation tool. Researchers found that certain insect larvae, such as mealworms and waxworms, harbor gut bacteria capable of breaking down plastic polymers. The study highlights biological degradation by insect-associated microbes as a promising avenue for microplastic remediation.
Wax worm saliva and the enzymes therein are the key to polyethylene degradation by Galleria mellonella
Researchers found that the saliva of Galleria mellonella (wax worm) larvae can oxidize and depolymerize polyethylene at room temperature within hours, overcoming the critical initial oxidation bottleneck in plastic biodegradation. Two specific enzymes within the saliva were identified as responsible for this capability, representing the first discovery of enzymes able to break down polyethylene under mild physiological conditions.
Mechanisms and Perspectives of Microplastic Biodegradation by Insects and Their Associated Microorganisms
This review examined how insects and their gut microbiota contribute to microplastic biodegradation, summarizing known degradation mechanisms and the microorganisms involved. The authors found that several insect species harbor gut bacteria capable of depolymerizing common plastics like polystyrene and polyethylene, though degradation rates remain too slow for practical remediation at scale.
Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Galleria mellonella: Identification of Potential Enzymes Involved in the Degradative Pathway
This study confirmed that larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella can biodegrade polystyrene, one of the most resistant plastics, and identified candidate enzymes involved in the degradation process. Researchers used proteomics to pinpoint enzymes in the larval gut, providing insights that could inform future biotechnological approaches to plastic waste management.
Plastic biodegradation by in vitro environmental microorganisms and in vivo gut microorganisms of insects
Researchers reviewed seven years of studies on plastic biodegradation by environmental microorganisms and insect gut microbes. The study found that while microbial degradation in environmental conditions is extremely slow, certain insects can biodegrade plastics like polystyrene and polyethylene at much faster rates, likely through gut microbe-dependent processes.