Scientists Win 'Nobel' for Researching Cockroach Milk Protein

An unusual study investigating the nutritional content of milk from a specific cockroach species has led a research team to win the 36th annual Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The international research team focused their study on the Pacific beetle cockroach species, Diploptera punctata. They examined the milk secreted from the maternal pouches of the insect, which is consumed by the embryos.

Within the embryos’ intestines, this milky fluid concentrates to form small crystals. The findings, as reported by The Scientist, reveal that the energy content in cockroach milk is three times higher than that of cow’s milk protein.

Further testing conducted during the research indicated that the protein is heterogeneous in both weight and composition. The study demonstrates that these crystalline proteins can store complete nutrients at various stages of embryonic development.

This discovery reveals that the crystalline milk provides a stable and nutrient-rich food source, aiding the cockroaches in growing into large, strong adults.

According to the official Nagoya University website, the research was highly praised for its use of synchrotron radiation X-ray technology. This allowed researchers to discover the three-dimensional structure of the protein crystals formed within the cockroach embryos.

The research was conducted at the Photon Factory of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba, Japan.

The Ig Nobel Prize is routinely awarded to research that is deemed unique and provides laughter through its unusual subject matter.