They discover a kind of superworm capable of eating and digesting polystyrene

Researchers at the University of Queensland, located in Australia, have discovered a species of superworm capable of eating and digesting polystyreneor put more simply for those who are not getting it, they can feed on polystyrene, one of the most used plastics in the world.

Delving into the details of this finding, the species of superworm capable of digesting polystyrene is the larva of Zophobas morio, a beetle of the tenebrioniidae family. Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered that this larva can digest polystyrene thanks to a bacterial enzyme present in its intestine.

For their discovery, the researchers fed different groups of superworms with different diets for a period of three weeks. The Styrofoam-fed group not only survived what to most would be a biological monstrosity, but were also seen to gain some weight.

Seeing the result obtained, the researchers said that “This suggests that worms can get energy from polystyrenemost likely with the help of your gut microbes.”. Through a technique called metagenomics, they managed to find various enzymes with which the worms were able to degrade polystyrene and styrene in their intestines. This makes the Zophobas morio larva a species “mini recycling plant” according to the words of Doctor Chris Rinke, team leader after the discovery. “The decomposition products of this reaction can be used by other microbes to create high-value compounds such as bioplastics”.

At this point, it doesn’t take a genius to imagine that this discovery opens the door to a possible solution to the world’s problem with the plastics that are flooding the planet. Plastics have become a threat to the environment and many species that in the long run will end up rebounding us in a bad way.

Taking up the finding of researchers at the University of Queensland, the long goal “is to design enzymes to degrade plastic waste in recycling plants by mechanical grinding, followed by enzymatic biodegradation”although to get to that point we still have to see how “improve this process to the level required for a complete recycling plant”.

In short, that a superworm, more specifically the larva of the Zophobas morio beetle, has opened a door of hope to correctly treat the plastics that we humans generate and that little by little are deteriorating natural environments and decimating species. Of course, in the face of these findings, caution must be maintained, because it remains to be seen if the biodegradation process discovered can be carried out on a large scale, and to this we must add economic interests, which are not always aligned with the protection of the environment or at least reduce its deterioration.

And even if this biodegradation process were to be carried out on a large scale, this should not lower customs such as maximum reuse and recycling to minimize waste.

Cover image: Wikipedia