Animals have been eating nature’s original bioplastic for millions of years
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have discovered that a wide range of animals possess enzymes capable of breaking down polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a natural bioplastic produced by microorganisms. This finding reveals a previously unknown pathway for carbon cycling within animal food webs.
Why it matters
Understanding how natural bioplastics are degraded by animals provides new insights into carbon sequestration and potential biological solutions for plastic waste management.
Microorganisms developed biodegradable plastics long before humans began making them. Many bacteria and archaea naturally produce compounds known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which they store inside their cells as reserves of carbon and energy.
Scientists had long assumed that only microorganisms could break down these natural plastics. New research from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, now challenges that idea. In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution , researchers found that a wide range of animals, including marine worms, starfish, earthworms, and other terrestrial species, possess enzymes that can degrade microbial PHAs. The discovery points to a previously unrecognized pathway through which carbon stored by microbes can move into animal food webs.
A Gutless Marine Worm Reveals a Hidden Ability
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in