Scientists from Spain have discovered a large number of enzymes in the saliva of waxworms that are able to
The discovery of these enzymes was the result of workFederica Bertocchini, a research biologist and beekeeper from Spain, who in 2017 stumbled upon the unusual ability of wax worms. These parasites feed on beeswax, and in an attempt to keep her hives from collapsing, Bertocchini covered them with plastic bags as protection. Within 40 minutes the packages were riddled with holes. Subsequent experiments showed that the worms did indeed digest the plastic, not just chew through it.
Scientists wanted to determine the mechanisms underlyingbased on the ability of worms to eat plastic. They used electron microscopy to analyze the saliva of wax worms and traced how their appetite for plastic was linked to a pair of enzymes. For hours at room temperature, these enzymes worked together to create visible craters on the surface of the plastic while simultaneously oxidizing the material.
They look forward to further work onunraveling the mechanisms underlying the ability of enzymes to degrade plastic. They note that there is still a lot of work to be done, but hope that the technology will one day help solve the growing problem of plastic pollution.