Zophobas morio Intestinal Microbial Sequencing

We observed the other insect-super mealworms (Zophobas morio larvae), beyond the species of Tenebrio genus, could also be able to consume and degrade PS foam. We have compared the biodegradation of expanded PS foam (EPS) from two sources in China: Beijing and Shandong province. The larvae consumed EPS over a 50 days period with higher survival rates. Analysis of frass egested using Flourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the formation of new oxygen-containing functional group in EPS. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis indicated that depolymerization of ingested EPS with decrease in both Mw and Mn was observed, suggesting that the EPS was biodegraded. We also used the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis technology to analyze gut bacteria of Z. morio under three different feeding conditions including polystyrene, bran, and bran plus polystyrene.