Microbiota of Chironomus riparius larvae

Accumulation of microplastics is a global problem affecting the planet health, thus finding ecologically appropriate measures for microplastic degradation is of high importance. Considering C. riparius larvae lifestyle as deposit feeders, their associated gut microbiota could be studied as a potential source of microplastic biodegraders. This study aimed to characterize for the first time microbiota associated with C. riparius larval gut from a river habitat compared to laboratory culture and to assess its ability for degradation of different substrates including cellulose, proteins and three different types of microplastics (PE, PVC and PA).