"It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a... Superworm? Yes, you read that correctly. Superworms are here and they just might save the day. But what are they?" -- Maia Cavagnolo, 6th grade
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a... Superworm? Yes, you read that correctly. Superworms are here and they just might save the day. But what are they? Superworms are larvae that can supposedly digest Styrofoam. “Don’t toss out that Styrofoam takeout container quite yet: what’s trash for you could be food for plastic-gobbling ‘superworms,’” says Prachi Patel in the article Superworms Gobble up Styrofoam.
Patel says, “Polystyrene foam, commonly called Styrofoam, is a plastic commonly used to make packing peanuts, food containers, and insulation. But it is extremely difficult to recycle, and most places don’t accept it at curbside recycling pickup.” Styrofoam, as Patel was saying, is highly toxic to the environment, and it is really hard to get rid of. So these superworms could help save our planet.
“These so-called ‘superworms’ could one day help rid landfills of this waste and thus put a dent in one of the drivers of global warming,” Olivia Hampton writes in her article, How ‘Superworms’ Could Help Solve the Trash Crisis.
A Superworm’s main goal is to go from being a larva to a pupa, and so they will eat pretty much anything. “The plump, glossy larvae of the darkling beetle are usually content to munch on wheat bran. But a number of the two-inch-long critters recently found themselves dining on much stranger fare in the service of science: polystyrene, the long-lived plastic packing material known sometimes by the brand name Styrofoam,” Veronique Greenwood explains in the article How Superworms Make Styrofoam into a Healthy Meal. So they have their reasons for eating it, but is it healthy for them?
“[Research shows that] in 66.7% of cases [Superworms] transform into beetles on that relatively poor diet,” concludes Hampton. While Superworms mainly eat bran or wheat, researchers have shown that they can also eat Styrofoam, pupating more than half of the time. So while the diet of Styrofoam isn’t the very best option for them, they can certainly get by, and they seem to like it as well. Video of Superworms eating Styrofoam.
So, how do these larvae even eat the toxic material? “Researchers sequenced all the DNA they could extract from the guts of the larvae. They were less interested in which specific microbes were present than in what enzymes were being made as the microbes worked to break down polystyrene. They pinpointed a handful of likely candidates — all types of enzymes known for their slicing-and-dicing abilities — that were possibly shearing polystyrene down into smaller pieces,” Greenwood states.
“Superworms have enzymes in their gut that break down polystyrene that the insects ingest,” Patel agrees. Superworms have special enzymes that can break down this harmful material and use it as fuel for their bodies.
There are still many unanswered questions about Superworms, like if they can be eaten by birds after ingesting the Styrofoam, or if the Styrofoam is still harmful after being deposited by the Superworms. However, scientists are looking into these questions, and into how superworms could save our planet.
Patel says, “Polystyrene foam, commonly called Styrofoam, is a plastic commonly used to make packing peanuts, food containers, and insulation. But it is extremely difficult to recycle, and most places don’t accept it at curbside recycling pickup.” Styrofoam, as Patel was saying, is highly toxic to the environment, and it is really hard to get rid of. So these superworms could help save our planet.
“These so-called ‘superworms’ could one day help rid landfills of this waste and thus put a dent in one of the drivers of global warming,” Olivia Hampton writes in her article, How ‘Superworms’ Could Help Solve the Trash Crisis.
A Superworm’s main goal is to go from being a larva to a pupa, and so they will eat pretty much anything. “The plump, glossy larvae of the darkling beetle are usually content to munch on wheat bran. But a number of the two-inch-long critters recently found themselves dining on much stranger fare in the service of science: polystyrene, the long-lived plastic packing material known sometimes by the brand name Styrofoam,” Veronique Greenwood explains in the article How Superworms Make Styrofoam into a Healthy Meal. So they have their reasons for eating it, but is it healthy for them?
“[Research shows that] in 66.7% of cases [Superworms] transform into beetles on that relatively poor diet,” concludes Hampton. While Superworms mainly eat bran or wheat, researchers have shown that they can also eat Styrofoam, pupating more than half of the time. So while the diet of Styrofoam isn’t the very best option for them, they can certainly get by, and they seem to like it as well. Video of Superworms eating Styrofoam.
So, how do these larvae even eat the toxic material? “Researchers sequenced all the DNA they could extract from the guts of the larvae. They were less interested in which specific microbes were present than in what enzymes were being made as the microbes worked to break down polystyrene. They pinpointed a handful of likely candidates — all types of enzymes known for their slicing-and-dicing abilities — that were possibly shearing polystyrene down into smaller pieces,” Greenwood states.
“Superworms have enzymes in their gut that break down polystyrene that the insects ingest,” Patel agrees. Superworms have special enzymes that can break down this harmful material and use it as fuel for their bodies.
There are still many unanswered questions about Superworms, like if they can be eaten by birds after ingesting the Styrofoam, or if the Styrofoam is still harmful after being deposited by the Superworms. However, scientists are looking into these questions, and into how superworms could save our planet.