Phys.org November 11, 2024
Researchers in Kenya evaluated the ability of the mealworm to consume Polystyrene (PS) its associated gut microbiota diversity. During the PS feeding trials intake increased over a 30-day period and the overall survival rates of the larvae decreased when fed a sole PS diet. The predominant bacteria observed in larvae fed PS diets were Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Enterococcus, while Stenotrophomonas dominated the control diet. According to the researchers their findings demonstrated that the newly identified lesser mealworm could survive on a PS diet and has a consortium of important bacteria strongly associated with PS degradation. The work paves the way for further research into the metabolic pathways of plastic-degrading microbes, to solve plastic waste pollution… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
A circular map illustrates the gene order of the lesser mealworm mitogenome. Credit: Scientific Reports volume 14, Article number: 21370 , 12 September 2024Â