Published in Current Biology · View the paper (DOI)
Researchers have found a way for a caterpillar to break down polyethylene, a common type of plastic. The larvae of the Galleria mellonella moth can digest and chemically transform polyethylene into ethylene glycol, offering a potential solution to managing plastic waste.
Coverage from 2 institutions
- A plastic-eating caterpillar Cell Press · Apr 24, 2017 · first to report
- Caterpillar found to eat shopping bags, suggesting biodegradable solution to plastic pollution University of Cambridge · Apr 24, 2017