A solution to the global problem of plastic waste is in sight as researchers have discovered that the larva of wax worm has the ability to degrade plastic — which is incredibly resistant to breaking down.<\/p>\n
\nThe researchers believe that the findings, published in the journal Current Biology could help devise a biotechnological solution to managing polyethylene waste.<\/p>\n
“We have found that the larva of a common insect, Galleria mellonella, is able to biodegrade one of the toughest, most resilient, and most used plastics: polyethylene,” said Federica Bertocchini of the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain.<\/p>\n
Although wax worms would not normally eat plastic, the researchers suspect that their ability is a byproduct of their natural habits.<\/p>\n
Wax moths lay their eggs inside beehives. The worms hatch and grow on beeswax, which is composed of a highly diverse mixture of lipid compounds.<\/p>\n
The researchers said the molecular details of wax biodegradation require further investigation, but it is likely that digesting beeswax and polyethylene involves breaking down similar types of chemical bonds.<\/p>\n
“Wax is a polymer, a sort of ‘natural plastic,’ and has a chemical structure not dissimilar to polyethylene,” Bertocchini said.<\/p>\n
Bertocchini and her colleagues made the discovery quite by accident, after noticing that plastic bags containing wax worms quickly became riddled with holes.<\/p>\n
Further study showed that the worms can do damage to a plastic bag in less than an hour.\u2014IANS<\/p>\n
Image: Paolo Bombelli<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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