Plastic degradation by insects | Frederica Bertocchini | TEDxPlaceMuseuxSalon

The planet is suffering.
The planet is changing, as it has always done, but it has been doing it at a very fast rate.
Insect are a marvel of nature. They are small invertebrates, very numerous in species, colonizing about all environmental niches: tropical, subtropical, temperate regions, and artic as well, both land water and air. They are everywhere, fortunately. Dr. Bertocchini has been working on basic questions related to the molecular mechanisms driving early development of chick and reptile embryos. She added to evolutionary-driven questions in the study of these early developmental mechanisms. At the same time, F.B. developed a parallel line of research driven by the interest for environmental protection and the bioremediation methodology by biological processes. F.B discovered that the larvae Lepidoptera Galleria mellonella are capable of fast biodegradation of polyethylene (PE) the most resilient and also produced plastic in the world. The discovery stood out among three others because of its own feature: the unique speed of biodegradation, faster than any other biological means known so far, and the evolutionary implication within the capacity of the insect, supposedly derived by the capacity of these larvae to eat wax, a mix of complex molecules with resemblance to PE. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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