Microorganisms of Termite guts offer hints on biofuel
Researchers have scooped soil near the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, visited a Russian volcano, and scoured the bottom of the sea looking for microbes that hold the key to new biofuels. Now, they are investigating deeper into the belly of termites.
The otherwise dreaded insect is a model bug bioreactor, adept at the difficult task of breaking down wood and turning it into fuel. Learning the secret of that skill could open the door to creating a new class of plant-based fuels to offset the nation's reliance on petroleum products.
In a study published last year, Leadbetter and others explored a small sample of termite gut bacteria genes, and found 1,000 involved in breaking down wood.The new study, which focuses on one of the most voracious of the 2,600 termite species,shows how a partnership within termite guts helps explain wood digestion.
The microorganism, called P. grassi, breaks down cellulose, a component of wood. A bacterium that lives inside that microorganism provides nitrogen, necessary for life but scarce in wood. Researchers have sequenced the genes of the bacteria and some of the protozoa, and are now analyzing the ones involved in digesting cellulose — in hopes of better understanding the secrets of the digestion process.
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The otherwise dreaded insect is a model bug bioreactor, adept at the difficult task of breaking down wood and turning it into fuel. Learning the secret of that skill could open the door to creating a new class of plant-based fuels to offset the nation's reliance on petroleum products.
In a study published last year, Leadbetter and others explored a small sample of termite gut bacteria genes, and found 1,000 involved in breaking down wood.The new study, which focuses on one of the most voracious of the 2,600 termite species,shows how a partnership within termite guts helps explain wood digestion.
The microorganism, called P. grassi, breaks down cellulose, a component of wood. A bacterium that lives inside that microorganism provides nitrogen, necessary for life but scarce in wood. Researchers have sequenced the genes of the bacteria and some of the protozoa, and are now analyzing the ones involved in digesting cellulose — in hopes of better understanding the secrets of the digestion process.
see more
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