How Superworms Hold the Key to the Plastic Waste Problem

It’s a well known issue that we don’t have a solid solution for our plastic waste however, there is a lab that seems to have found a potential solution to our polystyrene problem. Firstly, let's define what polystyrene is. It’s a synthetic plastic made from styrene monomer which is a liquid petrochemical. Polystyrene is found in a large amount of plastics in your everyday life! You can find it in the plastic in your cars, packing peanuts and Styrofoam, household appliances, and even in the medical and lab fields! Now, ensure you keep a close eye when someone of exceptional curiosity is interacting with anything with polystyrene because it has been known to be linked with cancer.

 

Now, I bet you’re wondering, “What do some worms have to do with recycling?” Well, I am so glad you asked! The Zophobas morio beetle larvae, more commonly known as the superworms, were nicknamed that due to their excessive size. These larvae carry a very special enzyme in their gut bacteria that allows them to not only break down polystyrene but survive solely on it! Because the larvae are physically able to grind up the Styrofoam to such an extent, the gut bacteria can digest it much easier.

 

If we are able to figure out what the exact enzyme is in the gut bacteria that allows for this breakdown, we could make huge strides in recycling these plastics with little to no environmental impact. For now, that is a goal for the future but it’s a goal that is not out of reach.

 

Picture credit: The New York Times