10 Jun 2022 --- Researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, have discovered a species of worm with an appetite for polystyrene, highlighting they could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass-scale. The common Zophobas morio “superworm” can eat through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme in its gut. Dr. Chris Rinke and his team from the University of Queensland’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences 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,” says Dr. Rinke. “This suggests the worms can derive energy from the polystyrene, most likely with the help of their gut microbes.”
