Publication Spotlight: Potential of Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio in Plastic Degradation: Mechanisms, Microorganisms, and Enzymes
Plastic is a big, and getting bigger, problem for the health and future of our planet. Sure, we might recycle, and try to avoid using plastic when possible, but there is just too much of it. The authors of the paper titled "Potential of Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio in Plastic Degradation: Mechanisms, Microorganisms, and Enzymes, Journal of Advanced Technological Education, Vol. 3, Issue 2. 2024 present a review of the potential for two organisms (the larvae of beetles) to aid in the biodegradation of plastic.
L. Sanz, T. Tran, and D. Kainer begin with a review of the current state of plastic usage and recycling. It is pretty bleak, 400metric tons of annual plastic waste in 2022, with only 9% being recycled. The authors did a literature review of plastics and biodegradation approaches, with no date restrictions, although experimental data was mainly from articles published from 2013-2024. The methods section of their paper outlines their search methodology, which I appreciate as just like an experimental paper, it is important to know how the information was gathered.
The authors also set the stage by explaining some of the differences of two frequently used plastics, polystyrene and polyethylene, which was useful because although I use plastics everyday, I didn't know how different the types could be structurally and chemically.
The review then steps through the results of various experiments done with the two larvae, examining the roles the larvae vs the gut microorganisms play in biodegradation. A lot of ground was covered, from the affect of the bedding (edible or not) on biodegradation to the role environmental conditions plays on larvae survival.
The authors conclusions are that current microbial degradation methods are not ready to take on the massive plastic problem at scale--but further examination of the interactions between organisms, microbes, and enzymes, as well as the types of plastics and additives we use, may lead to avenues that CAN solve the problem.
Definitely worth a read to get an idea of what approaches are being used to solve the plastic pollution problem!
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funding supported this work in part (DUE ATE #2325500).
L. Sanz, T. Tran, and D. Kainer. Potential of Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio in Plastic Degradation: Mechanisms, Microorganisms, and Enzymes, Journal of Advanced Technological Education. Vol. 3, Issue 2. 2024 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13621718