Wriggling critters armed with enzymes can break down plastics that would otherwise take decades, or even centuries to degrade.

Wriggling critters armed with enzymes can break down plastics that would otherwise take decades, or even centuries to degrade.

At first glance there’s nothing particularly remarkable about waxworms. The larval form of wax moths, these pale wriggling grubs feed on the wax that bees use to make their honeycomb. For beekeepers, the pests are something to swiftly get rid of without a second thought.

But in 2017 molecular biologist Federica Bertocchini, who at the time was researching the embryonic development of vertebrates at the Spanish National Research Council, stumbled on a potentially game-changing discovery about these creatures.

Bertocchini, an amateur beekeeper, threw some of the waxworms in a plastic bag after cleaning her hive, and left them alone. A short time later, she noticed the worms had started producing small holes in the plastic, which begun degrading as soon as it touched the worms’ mouths.

  • Flying Squid
    61•6 months ago

    Maybe I’m missing where the article said it, but what does it break the plastic down into? That seems like it would be pretty critical information in terms of the utility here.

    • @[email protected]
      43•6 months ago

      my guess is that something else will be able to unzip it and use it as an energy source

      yep in the linked article it is mentioned that product is ethylene glycol

    • @Dasnap
      10•6 months ago

      Mercury :)

      /s

    • @MunkyNuttsEnglish
      5•6 months ago

      From the research article results there are various compounds.

      https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33127-w

      The detected compounds comprised oxidized aliphatic chains, like 2-ketones from 10 to 22 carbons. Ketones from 10 to 18 carbons were identified by comparing the fragmentgram of the ion m/z 58 from methyl ketones that correspond with the transposition of the McLafferty on the carbonyl located at the second carbon of each ketone. Those not present in the library as 2-eicosanone and 2-docosanone showed the same fragmentgram m/z 58 and were defined by the equidistance of the peaks along the retention time and their molecular weight (Supplementary Table 1). Furthermore, the presence of 2-ketones was confirmed with GC-MS/MS in MRM mode with the ion with the highest m/z and the exclusive of each molecule as 212 > 58 for 2-tetradecanone, 240 > 59 for 2-hexadecanone, and 282 > 58 for 2-octadecanone. Also, butane, 2,3-Butanediol, 2-trimethylslyl (TMS) derivative, and sebacic acid, 2TMS derivative were identified using sample silylation, indicating the deterioration of the PE chain (Fig. 3C). At the same time, a small aromatic compound recognizable as benzenepropanoic acid, TMS derivative, a plastic antioxidant, was found. Derivative chemicals were confirmed as well using GC-MS/MS with an m/z of 147 > 73, 331 > 73, and 104 > 75, respectively. The presence of this plastic antioxidant suggests an “opening” in the polymeric structures, with the release of small stabilizing compounds normally present in plastics (plastic additives).

      • Flying Squid
        1•6 months ago

        Not the big solution that’s hoped for then, I guess.

        • @[email protected]English
          5•6 months ago

          Lots of things are toxic, we can deal with them in industrial settings just fine. Pretty much everything we use is toxic at some point in its manufacturing process

          • Flying Squid
            -2•6 months ago

            Cool, good thing all of those landfills full of plastic won’t leak those chemicals anywhere.

            • @[email protected]English
              11•6 months ago

              Just don’t do it in the landfills, then? Ethylene glycol is a chemical with practical uses, there’s no reason not to collect it in a recycling facility.

              Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

            • @BluesF
              2•6 months ago

              I don’t think anyone is suggesting you manufacture this enzyme and just pour it onto a landfill.

    • m3t00🌎 votedMEnglish
      2•6 months ago

      wondering same. exothermic? worms like it I guess