Plastic-eating worms may offer solution to mounting waste

29 October 2015

An ongoing study by Stanford engineers, in collaboration with researchers in China, shows that common mealworms can safely biodegrade various types of plastic. The tiny worm can subsist on a diet of Styrofoam and other forms of polystyrene, according to two companion studies. Microorganisms in the worms' guts biodegrade the plastic in the process.
The papers, published in Environmental Science and Technology, provide detailed evidence of bacterial degradation of plastic in an animal's gut. Understanding how bacteria within mealworms carry out this feat could potentially enable new options for safe management of plastic waste (News Item Stanford, 29 September 2015).
Click here for the news item.
Click here for an abstract of the published article part 1.
Click here for an abstract of the published article part 2.

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