Plastic production has been increasing exponentially in the last 60 years, but plastic disposal is out of control, resulting in the pollution of all ecosystems on Earth. Finding alternative environmentally sustainable choices, such as biodegradation by insects and their associated gut microbiota, is crucial, however we have only begun to characterize these ecosystems. Some bacteria and one fungus have been previously identified in the gut of Greater Wax Moth larvae (Galleria mellonella L., Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) located mainly in the Northern hemisphere. The aim of this study was to describe changes in the gut microbiota associated with the consumption of polyethylene and polystyrene by the Greater Wax Moth in Argentina, considering both bacteria and fungi. Larvae were fed polyethylene, polystyrene and beeswax as control for 7 days. Next generation sequencing revealed changes in the bacterial gut microbiome of the wax moth larvae at the phyla and genus levels, with an increase in two Pseudomonas strains. The fungal communities showed no differences in composition between diets, only changing in relative abundance. This is the first report of both bacterial and fungal communities associated with a plastivore insect. The results are promising and call for more studies concerning a potential multi-kingdom synergy in the plastic biodegradation process.
RESUMEN.La incógnita planteada en el título reunió a un grupo de investigadores en el simposio "Ecología de residuos plásticos: ¿Qué estudiamos en Argentina?", llevado a cabo en la XXVIII Reunión Argentina de Ecología. En esta comunicación hacemos un análisis del contexto nacional sobre residuos plásticos. Nuestros estudios en ecología de plásticos buscaron mitigar, por un lado, y cuantificar los residuos plásticos, por otro lado. Estos estudios ocurrieron en la mitad norte del país, en ambientes terrestres y acuáticos, y se enfocaron en diferentes materiales plásticos y en distintos organismos, aunque las bacterias fueron de interés para la mayoría de nosotros. Concluimos con preguntas guía para ecólogos, basadas en los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de la ONU. Estas preguntas se relacionan con los ODS Agua Limpia y Saneamiento, Ciudades y Comunidades Sostenibles, Producción y Consumo Responsable y Vida Submarina y Sobre la Tierra.[Palabras clave: ambientes acuáticos y terrestres, comunidades animales, contaminación plástica, Reunión Argentina de Ecología] ABSTRACT. What do we ecologists study when we investigate plastic waste in terrestrial and freshwater environments of Argentina? What kind of research questions do ecologists make in relation to plastic waste in Argentina? This question gathered a group of researchers at the symposium "Ecology of plastic waste: What do we study in Argentina?", held at the XXVIII Argentinian Ecology Meeting. In this communication we analyze the national context on plastic waste. Our studies on the ecology of plastics sought to mitigate, on the one hand, and to quantify plastic waste, on the other hand. These studies occurred in the northern half of the country, in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and were focused on different plastic materials and diverse organisms, though bacteria were of interest for the majority of us. We conclude with guiding questions for ecologists, based on the Sustainable Development Objectives of the UN. These questions are related to: Clean Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Life Below Water and on Land.
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