A TEAM of scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has isolated a worm gut bacteria that can break down plastics, a potential solution to the global plastic pollution problem. NTU scientists have demonstrated that this could be overcome by isolating the worm's gut bacteria and directly using them to breakdown plastics, eliminating the need for large-scale worm breeding. Their experiment revealed that gut microbiomes from plastic-fed worms showed a significant increase in capacity to degrade plastics compared to worms fed with oatmeal. "Our study represents the first reported successful attempt to develop plastic-associated bacterial communities from gut microbiomes of plastic-fed worms. The scientists said the next step is to understand how the superworms' gut bacteria break down plastics at the molecular level.

Source: Manila Times February 09, 2024 17:28 UTC