Abstract of the research (IMAGE)
Caption
Wharf roaches act as “cleanup crews” of the seashore. In recent years, microplastics, such as EPS, have been washing up on beaches and subsequently consumed by these creatures. A team from Kyushu University used multi-omics analysis to investigate what occurs in the digestive tracts of wharf roaches that have ingested EPS. The results revealed that roaches that ingested EPS had elevated activation of genes related to the metabolism of foreign substances. Additionally, while there were no changes in gut microbiota, they found methane-producing archaea and viruses only in EPS-consuming roaches.
Credit
Yuji Oshima/Kyushu University
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