How plastic-eating worms could be solution to Southeast Asia’s waste problem

Scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) think mass-producing ‘superworm’ guts may be a nature-based solution to Southeast Asia’s plastic waste problem. They are studying the creatures to work out exactly how they digest plastic. They already know that the creatures' gut biomes break down the waste on a molecular level and that they can be altered to degrade plastic even more effectively. Now they want to work out how this natural mechanism can be harnessed on an industrial scale. Previous studies show these nutritious ‘superworms’–the larvae of the darkling beetle, scientifically known as Zophobas atratus–have bacteria in their gut that allow them to break down common plastics. But the worm’s use in plastic processing is impractical. It is hard to maintain large worm populations, they naturally take their time feasting on plastic and quickly mature into non-plastic-eating beetles. That’s why these scientists at NTU’s Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering are trying to cut out the middleman in this process, or in this case, the middle worm. They want to find a way to create their plastic-guzzling guts artificially.  “Once the worms are done feeding with plastics, this is what it looks like. They create holes,” says Sakcham Bairoliya, another research fellow, holding up the perforated styrofoam. “Our study is one of the few studies in this region to look at the microorganisms and plastic interaction in the marine environment. With the ultimate goal to develop novel bioprocesses for us to manage the plastic waste well,” says Cao Bin, an associate professor leading the study. Plastic waste is a leading environmental issue in Southeast Asia, with plastic polluting marine and freshwater ecosystems around the Asia-Pacific region. A 2020 report from the U.N. Center for Regional Development estimated the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from the Asia-Pacific region would range from 2.3 to 6.4 million tons by 2030. This article was provided by The Associated Press.