YAKUTSK, August 17. /TASS/. The Xenos Company, the Yakutia technopark’s resident, will breed colonies of wild mites to control pests of agricultural crops in the changing Arctic climate, the company’s director general, a postgraduate at the Safronov Yakut Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture, Yevgeny Popov told TASS.
"We are breeding wild mites for pest control. In Yakutia, due to the climate changes, we have been registering agricultural pests, which are untypical for the region. In particular, we are talking about spider mites, locusts. The mites for pest control will be released into the closed ground. On average, one female mite can eat up to 20 pests every day," he said, noting that the company has already purchased the first consignment of mites and is getting prepared for their reproduction.
Yevgeny Popov decided to organize the company in 2020. The team is two biologists and one ecologist. They have received a grant from the fund for development of small businesses in sciences and technologies. The annual Sakha Innovation 2021 exhibition announced Evgeny Popov, working on the Xenos projects, as the best inventor.
Insects business
Additionally, the Yakut company begins to make portable mini-stations where zophobas morio beetles will recycle plastics. The stations may be installed at home and in the office. Glass boxes with beetles are exhibited in downtown Yakutsk — at the IT Park. The biotechnology experts promote the culture of eco-friendly thinking, as well as the Year of Science and Technology in Russia.
The project’s global aim is to create a solution that breaks down plastics without using insects. During the research, the experts found that zophobas morio beetles are able to eat and digest plastics. The substance produced by beetles after the processing is completely organic. This means that in the future, plastics will no longer harm the environment, and the processing’s time and costs will only fall.
"We plan to sell our boxes at the price of five to six thousand rubles ($68-82). We have pre-orders not only from Yakutia, but also from other regions and countries. These boxes cut the load of plastics. Mini stations are easy to use. One colony of 300 beetles can process about 50 grams of plastics every week," the scientist continued.
Previously, researchers worked with larvae of a large wax moth (a moth-like butterfly) and found out that in the course of evolution they had learned to process polyethylene and can eat plastic bags. In a new experiment, biotechnologists for two weeks fed the zophobas morio larvae only with plastic, and then dried them. Using the gas chromatography method, they found that there was practically no plastic in the larvae or in their excrements. Plastics had broken down into secondary metabolites and octacosane.
Beetle breeding
Special boxes can be placed both at home and in the office. The recycling equipment does not require special micro control. Additionally, beetles are used for forage. "In case of big production, they are a wonderful source food for birds, chickens and exotic animals," the expert added.
The substrate for breeding beetles usually consists of sawdust or coconut chips. The box must have high humidity, especially in Yakutia’s dry climate. These insects are omnivorous, eating, in addition to plastic, food waste, bread, fruits and vegetables. The care is just to spray the box once a week. It is sufficient to feed the insects once a week. The beetles are not very mobile, thus the probability of escape is low. Additionally, the insects are not poisonous and are not dangerous to humans.
Reproduction in a colony is impossible. In order to pupate, the larva needs privacy. "We place large larvae into a separate cage. The female lays approximately 280 eggs with a high survival rate. More than half of them survive. A person must control the reproduction process. However, micro control is required only at the breeding stage," he said.
According to the scientist, working with insects is only the initial stage of a large project. The team has been setting the direction of research. The scientists want to understand the mechanism of the insects’ appetite for plastics. The thing is that larvae eat plastics, and bacteria inside their intestines break down these complex polymers.
A team of enthusiasts together with microbiologists from Japan continues to study bacteria that are found in the gastrointestinal tract of insects.
"We want to identify the bacteria responsible for biodegradation. We hope to sequence partially the bacteria, and perhaps to see a special strain. If the experiment succeeds, we will be able to cultivate them in a test tube. This strain is typical for insects that feed on rotten wood, which is also a polymer. Perhaps the situation with plastics is similar," Popov said.