Dar Mudasir A, Xie Rongrong, Zabed Hossain M, Pawar Kiran D, Dhole Neeraja P, Sun Jianzhong
Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Insect Sci. 2024 Jul 11. doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.13417.
The ubiquitous incorporation of plastics into daily life, coupled with inefficient recycling practices, has resulted in the accumulation of millions of metric tons of plastic waste, that poses a serious threat to the Earth's sustainability. Plastic pollution, a global problem, disrupts the ecological balance and endangers various life forms. Efforts to combat plastic pollution are underway, with a promising avenue being biological degradation facilitated by certain insects and their symbiotic gut microorganisms, particularly bacteria. This review consolidates existing knowledge on plastic degradation by insects and their influence on gut microbiota. Additionally, it delves into the potential mechanisms employed by insects in symbiosis with gut bacteria, exploring the bioconversion of waste plastics into value-added biodegradable polymers through mineralization. These insights hold significant promise for the bio-upcycling of plastic waste, opening new horizons for future biomanufacturing of high-value chemicals from plastic-derived compounds. Finally, we weigh the pros and cons of future research endeavors related to the bioprospection of plastic-degrading bacteria from underexplored insect species. We also underscore the importance of bioengineering depolymerases with novel characteristics, aiming for their application in the remediation and valorization of waste plastics.
塑料在日常生活中的广泛使用，再加上回收利用效率低下，导致数百万吨塑料垃圾堆积如山，这对地球的可持续发展构成了严重威胁。塑料污染是一个全球性问题，它破坏生态平衡，危及各种生命形式。目前正在努力应对塑料污染，一条有前景的途径是由某些昆虫及其共生肠道微生物（特别是细菌）促进的生物降解。这篇综述整合了关于昆虫降解塑料及其对肠道微生物群影响的现有知识。此外，它还深入探讨了昆虫与肠道细菌共生所采用的潜在机制，探索通过矿化将废弃塑料生物转化为增值可生物降解聚合物。这些见解对塑料垃圾的生物升级再造具有重大前景，为未来从塑料衍生化合物中生物制造高价值化学品开辟了新视野。最后，我们权衡了与从未充分探索的昆虫物种中生物勘探塑料降解细菌相关的未来研究努力的利弊。我们还强调了生物工程具有新特性的解聚酶的重要性，旨在将其应用于废弃塑料的修复和增值利用。
