Galleria mellonella gut microbiome Metagenome

Plastic polymers have revolutionized our lives for the best, our planet for the worst. Indeed, of the tons of plastic produced annually, the majority of it can be classified as single use, convenience product, that eventually ends up littering our environment. These polymers, although convenient, are unfortunately poorly degradable and require extensive processes to reduce their accumulation. Recently it was found that larvae of the waxworm Galleria mellonella degrades polyethylene at unparalleled rates. Under the assumption that the microbiome plays an integral role in the degradation process, we characterized the bacteria in waxworms fed on plastic, honeycomb and starved for 24 h and 72 h.