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This study investigates an eco-biotechnological approach involving bacterial strains isolated from insect guts\u2014Bacillus cereus LDPE-DB2 (from Achroia grisella) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa LDPE-DB26 (from Coptotermes formosanus)\u2014which demonstrate the ability to degrade LDPE, potentially through the action of lignin-modifying enzymes. These strains exhibited notable biofilm formation, enzymatic activity, and mechanical destabilization of LDPE. LDPE-DB2 exhibited higher LDPE degradation efficiency than LDPE-DB26, achieving a greater weight loss of 19.8% compared with 11.6% after 45 days. LDPE-DB2 also formed denser biofilms (maximum protein content: 68.3 \u00b1 2.3 \u00b5g\/cm2) compared with LDPE-DB26 (55.2 \u00b1 3.1 \u00b5g\/cm2), indicating stronger surface adhesion. Additionally, LDPE-DB2 reduced LDPE tensile strength (TS) by 58.3% (from 15.3 MPa to 6.4 \u00b1 0.4 MPa), whereas LDPE-DB26 induced a 43.1% reduction (to 8.7 \u00b1 0.23 MPa). Molecular weight analysis revealed that LDPE-DB2 caused a 14.8% decrease in weight-averaged molecular weight (Mw) and a 59.1% reduction in number-averaged molecular weight (Mn), compared with 5.8% and 32.7%, respectively, for LDPE-DB26. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses revealed substantial polymer chain scission and crystallinity disruption. Gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified environmentally benign degradation products, including alkanes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids. This study demonstrates a sustainable route to polyethylene biotransformation using insect symbionts and provides insights for scalable, green plastic waste management strategies in line with circular economy goals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13081929","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,18]],"date-time":"2025-08-18T11:31:37Z","timestamp":1755516697000},"page":"1929","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Harnessing and Degradation Mechanism of Persistent Polyethylene Waste by Newly Isolated Bacteria from Waxworm and Termite Gut Symbionts"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7033-8387","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sameh Samir","family":"Ali","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"},{"name":"Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0857-2842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jianzhong","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rania","family":"Al-Tohamy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maha A.","family":"Khalil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tamer","family":"Elsamahy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8277-7205","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael","family":"Schagerl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, A-1030 Vienna, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daochen","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shimaa","family":"El-Sapagh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100427","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ese.2024.100427","article-title":"A critical review of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: Degradation mechanisms and removing strategies","volume":"21","author":"Ali","year":"2024","journal-title":"Environ. 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