10/01/2015: How will future mans feed themselves and survive amid a wasteland of plastic garbage? The lowly mealworm offers a potential solution to both problems, with the latest research identifying their curious ability to digest Styrofoam.
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Mealworm to Darkling Beetle in under two minutes
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TRANSCRIPT:
Could the lowly mealworm save future generations from food scarcity in a trash-strewn wasteland? Some new research potentially paves the way for our worm savior.
According to new research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the mealworm --the darkling beetle's larval form -- can digest polystyrene products, most notably Styrofoam, which we previously considered non-biodegradable.
And by digest, yes, they mean it can live on the stuff, breaking the synthetic polymer down in its gut and leaving behind only a puff of carbon dioxide and a trail of biodegradable worm poop.
Specifically, researchers at Stanford's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering observed 100 mealworms as they consumed between 34 and 39 milligrams of Styrofoam per day. And afterwards, the wriggling larvae appeared just as healthy as mealworms who don't eat chemically-engineered garbage.
The news is hopeful, but it's not a homerun yet. The researchers plan to study how this polystyrene consumption impacts the mealworm's environment, as well as exactly how the mealworm's enzymes break everything down. Perhaps it will enable scientists to engineer safer, more powerful polystyrene-degrading agents -- and my hope is that we can just genetically modify ourselves to gobble up all the discarded gas station coffee cups we can stomach.
Meanwhile, the mealworm continues to stand out as a future protein source for a crowded, hungry planet. They're reportedly delicious in stir fry, and might just replace beef as the go-to meat for the great American burger. Insects are high in protein and inexpensive to raise, demanding a far smaller environmental footprint to put food on the table.
Just consider: By the year 2050, the human population will likely number 9.6 billion, requiring a massive increase in food production to feed everyone -- and today, one out of every nine earthlings doesn't get enough to eat. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, annual meat production will need to rise by over 200 million tons to provide the 470 million tons we need. Insect meal could help us reach that number without further transforming the world into one big industrial feedlot.
So will the mealworm prove humanity's savior? Is there a place for you in such a future? Get in touch and let us know , and if you're looking for more weird scientific wonder, be sure check in over at now.howstuffworks.com every day.
Tasty Worm Savior Might Also Eat Our Styrofoam | HowStuffWorks NOW
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