Characterization of biodegradation of plastics in insect larvae

Biodegradation of plastics has been observed at rapid turnover rate by some insect larvae, especially those of Coleoptera, in particular Tenebrionidae. Tenebrio molitor larva is well studied and capable of biodegrading polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in their digestive intestine in synergy with their gut microflora. This chapter includes the methods, protocols, and procedures used to characterize biodegradation of plastics in T. molitor larvae and their gut microbiomes with polystyrene as the model feedstock. The methods used can be expanded to enable investigation of other plastics and/or insects.