Иран болон Германы судлаачид амьтны ясыг музейн үзмэр бэлтгэхэд ашигладаг химийн бодис болон цох хорхойн оронд “супер өт” буюу Zophobas morio авгалдайг ашиглах нь илүү үр дүнтэй болохыг тогтоожээ.
Музейн салбарт араг ясыг гэмтээлгүйгээр зөөлөн эдээс цэвэрлэх нь нарийн ажиллагаа шаарддаг. Уламжлалт химийн бодисууд нь ясыг гэмтээх эрсдэлтэй, харин музейд түгээмэл ашигладаг цох хорхойнууд нь оргох эсвэл өндгөө үлдээх зэргээр цуглуулгад хор хөнөөл учруулах магадлалтай байдаг. Судлаачид эдгээр бэрхшээлийг шийдвэрлэх зорилгоор амьтны тэжээл болгон өргөн ашигладаг супер өт авгалдайг туршилтад оруулжээ.
Туршилтаар супер өт нь жижиг сарьсан багваахайгаас эхлээд том чоно хүртэлх амьтны араг ясыг хэдхэн цагаас хэдэн өдрийн дотор цэвэрлэж чадсан байна. Штутгарт дахь Байгалийн түүхийн улсын музейн судлаач Нилуфар Алаей Кахкигийн тайлбарласнаар, энэ арга нь уламжлалт технологиос илүү хурдан, байгаль орчинд ээлтэй, мөн арчилгаа хялбар гэдгээрээ давуу талтай аж.
Судалгааны багийнхан ясыг гэмтээхгүй байхын тулд зөв харьцааг тогтоох нь чухал болохыг онцолжээ. Тэдний гаргасан дүгнэлтээр, 1 грамм жинтэй сэгт 10–15 грамм супер өт ногдуулах нь хамгийн оновчтой бөгөөд ингэснээр ясны бүтцийг гэмтээхгүйгээр зөөлөн эдийг бүрэн цэвэрлэх боломжтой болсон байна. PLOS One сэтгүүлд нийтлэгдсэн энэхүү судалгаа нь музейн сан хөмрөгийг хадгалах, бэлтгэх ажилд шинэ, хэмнэлттэй хувилбарыг санал болгож байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A team of researchers has found an unexpected new use for superworms: cleaning animal skeletons for museum collections. Published in PLOS One, the study shows the larvae can remove soft tissue efficiently while avoiding some of the drawbacks of chemical treatments and dermestid beetle colonies.
Preparing skeletons for research and exhibition is a delicate process. Every trace of flesh must be removed without harming the tiny anatomical details that make specimens valuable to scientists and museum visitors alike. Finding a method that is both effective and easy to manage has long been a challenge.
To explore another option, researchers from Iran and Germany turned to Zophobas morio, better known as superworms. Their experiments tested whether these larvae, already widely sold as animal feed, could prepare skeletons just as effectively as existing techniques while being simpler to maintain.
How Museums Preserve History
Museums have traditionally cleaned skeletons with chemicals or enzymes that dissolve remaining soft tissue. The study says these methods can be expensive and may damage fragile bones, making them less suitable for delicate specimens.
Many institutions now prefer biological cleaning with dermestid beetles. The researchers note that museums such as the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History use these insects because they remove flesh while generally leaving bones intact.
“Unlike traditional chemical methods or dermestid beetle colonies, this approach preserves delicate bones, is environmentally friendly, safer for museum collections by minimizing the risk of pest infestation and makes colony maintenance much easier for museums,” explained the authors.
That approach also comes with challenges. The team explains that beetles can escape or leave behind eggs that go unnoticed, creating a risk for museum collections. Those concerns led the researchers to investigate whether another insect could do the same job without those complications.
Superworms Handled Specimens From Bats To Wolves
The researchers chose superworms for two reasons. They do not pupate when kept in crowded conditions, reducing the chance of infestation, and they are inexpensive because they are already produced in large numbers as pet food.
During the experiments, different numbers of larvae were placed in enclosed containers with animal specimens. The superworms cleaned skeletons ranging from small Egyptian bats to a large wolf, completing the process in anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the size of the animal.
Niloofar Alaei Kakhki, a co-author of the study and a bioinformatician at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, told Science magazine that :
“Superworms are really fast compared to other traditional methods, they are more environmentally friendly, and their maintenance is super easy.”
The researchers reported that the larvae removed the remaining tissue while causing very little damage to the skeletons during the trials.
Finding the Right Balance Was Key
The study also revealed that the number of superworms matters. Once the available flesh had been consumed, the larvae could begin damaging more fragile bones if too many were present.
By testing different combinations of specimen sizes and worm populations, the researchers identified a more suitable balance. The study found that 10 to 15 grams of superworms for every 1 gram of carcass produced effective cleaning while limiting damage to the bones.
In a paper, published in PLOS One, the team said the method preserves delicate skeletal structures while avoiding traditional chemical treatments and reducing the risk of pest infestations linked to dermestid beetle colonies. The researchers also said maintaining superworm colonies is easier, making them a practical option for museums preparing skeletal specimens.
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