University of Queensland researchers discovered the common Zophobas morio ‘superworm’ can eat through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme in their gut.

They fed superworms different diets over a three-week period, with some given polystyrene foam, some bran and others put on a fasting diet.

“We found the superworms fed a diet of just polystyrene not only survived, but even had marginal weight gains,” Dr Rinke said.

“This suggests the worms can derive energy from the polystyrene, most likely with the help of their gut microbes.”

Image credit: University of Queensland

The researchers used a technique called metagenomics to find several encoded enzymes with the ability to degrade polystyrene and styrene.

The long-term goal is to engineer enzymes to degrade plastic waste in recycling plants...