Discovery of Nylon 11 ingestion by mealworm (<i>Tenebrio molitor</i>) larvae and detection of monomer-degrading bacteria in gut microbiota

Amelia Leicht; Jocelyn Gatz-Schrupp; Hisako Masuda; Amelia Leicht; Jocelyn Gatz-Schrupp; Hisako Masuda

doi:10.3934/microbiol.2022039

AIMS Microbiology

2022, Volume 8, Issue 4: 612-623. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2022039

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Research article

Discovery of Nylon 11 ingestion by mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae and detection of monomer-degrading bacteria in gut microbiota

School of Sciences, Indiana University Kokomo, 2300 S Washington St., Kokomo, IN, USA

Received: 28 September 2022 Revised: 18 November 2022 Accepted: 15 December 2022 Published: 26 December 2022

Nylon 11, which can be found in many commercial products, is a synthetic plastic that has previously been considered non-biodegradable. Increasing nylon 11 and other plastics in landfills and in the environment pose an environmental concern. Recent studies on plastic biodegradation revealed that initial mechanical fragmentations increase the rate of degradation. In this study, we discovered that the larvae of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) can masticate nylon 11 film at the rate of 0.25 ± 0.07 mg per fifty larvae per day. The body mass of larvae did not differ from that of starvation control while feeding on nylon 11. Comparison of gut microbiota in nylon-fed and starving larvae showed a shift in composition. There was a significant variation in community composition among the nylon 11-fed experimental groups, suggesting that many organisms are capable of metabolizing nylon 11 fragments and/or possess a growth advantage in a nylon-fed gut environment. We also discovered that a significant fraction of gut microbiome of control larvae is capable of metabolizing nylon 11 monomer (11-aminoundecanoic acid) even in the absence of prior exposure to nylon 11. This is the first study demonstrating ingestion of nylon polymers by invertebrates, and our results suggest the potential of mealworm larvae for nylon 11 biodegradation applications.
- Nylon 11,
- plastics biodegradation,
- gut microbiome,
- Tenebrio molitor,
- mealworm
Citation: Amelia Leicht, Jocelyn Gatz-Schrupp, Hisako Masuda. Discovery of Nylon 11 ingestion by mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae and detection of monomer-degrading bacteria in gut microbiota[J]. AIMS Microbiology, 2022, 8(4): 612-623. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2022039

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Abstract

Nylon 11, which can be found in many commercial products, is a synthetic plastic that has previously been considered non-biodegradable. Increasing nylon 11 and other plastics in landfills and in the environment pose an environmental concern. Recent studies on plastic biodegradation revealed that initial mechanical fragmentations increase the rate of degradation. In this study, we discovered that the larvae of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) can masticate nylon 11 film at the rate of 0.25 ± 0.07 mg per fifty larvae per day. The body mass of larvae did not differ from that of starvation control while feeding on nylon 11. Comparison of gut microbiota in nylon-fed and starving larvae showed a shift in composition. There was a significant variation in community composition among the nylon 11-fed experimental groups, suggesting that many organisms are capable of metabolizing nylon 11 fragments and/or possess a growth advantage in a nylon-fed gut environment. We also discovered that a significant fraction of gut microbiome of control larvae is capable of metabolizing nylon 11 monomer (11-aminoundecanoic acid) even in the absence of prior exposure to nylon 11. This is the first study demonstrating ingestion of nylon polymers by invertebrates, and our results suggest the potential of mealworm larvae for nylon 11 biodegradation applications.

Acknowledgments

The work was funded by the Grants-in-Aid from IUK Office of Academic Affairs. Authors also acknowledge the support from the IUK School of Sciences. We thank Dr. Peter Tupa for proofreading of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author contributions

Amelia Leicht, Jocelyn Elpers: Methodology, Investigation, Writing – review. Hisako Masuda: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Data curation, Writing – Original draft preparation, Visualization, Investigation, Supervision.

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