Enhanced Bioavailability and Microbial Biodegradation of Polystyrene in an Enrichment Derived from the Gut Microbiome of Tenebrio molitor (Mealworm Larvae)

As the global threat of plastic pollution has grown in scale and urgency, so have efforts to find sustainable and efficient solutions. Research conducted over the past few years has identified gut environments within insect larvae, including Tenebrio molitor (yellow mealworms), as microenvironments uniquely suited to rapid plastic biodegradation. However, there is currently limited understanding of how the insect host and its gut microbiome collaborate to create an environment conducive to plastic biodegradation. In this work, we provide evidence that T. molitor secretes one or more emulsifying factor(s) (30-100 kDa) that mediate plastic bioavailability. We also demonstrate that the insect gut microbiome secretes factor(s) (