A project submitted to TÜBİTAK by Prof. Dr. Aslıhan Kurt Kızıldoğan of the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology at Ondokuz Mayıs University’s (OMU) Faculty of Agriculture has been selected for funding under the 2515-COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology Programme.

The project is being supported within the scope of the COST Action “Plastics Monitoring, Detection, Remediation and Recovery” (CA20101).

Titled “Multi-Omics Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome of Tenebrio molitor Larvae Fed Polystyrene and Polyvinyl Chloride Diets, Discovery of Potential PS/PVC-Degrading Enzymes, and Their Functional Analysis,” the project aims to develop biotechnological solutions to the environmental pollution caused by plastics that degrade very slowly in nature.

The study will investigate the biodegradation potential of polystyrene, commonly used in expanded foam products, and polyvinyl chloride, a chemically more resistant type of plastic, using Tenebrio molitor, commonly known as mealworm, larvae.

Advanced metagenomic, metabolomic, and metatranscriptomic methods will be combined with analytical and functional studies to clarify the biological mechanisms involved in plastic degradation.

Through this multi-omics approach, the researchers will comprehensively examine how microbial communities, metabolic pathways, and gene expression profiles within the larvae’s gut microbiome contribute to the degradation of plastics.

The project also aims to discover novel enzymes with the potential to degrade polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride and to conduct functional analyses of these enzymes.

The findings are expected to contribute to the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for plastic biodegradation and strengthen the scientific foundation for reducing environmental pollution. The project will also enhance OMU’s research capacity and international cooperation in environmental biotechnology.