That’s right, a team of researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have mapped the genes of termites and discovered that the termites’ digestive system is capable of breaking down one of the biggest barriers to widespread cellulosic ethanol production—lignocelluloses.Currently, breaking down lignocelluloses is a costly and difficult process that requires either intense heat or caustic chemicals. However, the researcher’s at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences discovered that, ‘“Termites are very unique creatures, and this research helps give the most complete picture of how their systems collaborate to, very efficiently, break down really tough biological compounds to release fermentable sugars,’ said UF entomologist Mike Scharf, who leads the research.”
The researchers reported Oct. 15, 2009 in the online journal Biotechnology for Biofuels that they’ve identified 6,555 genes from the termites, and the researchers are identifying which “genes encode for enzymes” that can break down lignocelluloses and perhaps unlock the door to large scale sustainable fuel production. The US Department of Energy estimates that cellulosic ethanol “could replace half our gasoline if the production process could be made more cost effective.
As Stu Hutson writes for the University of Florida on the Southeast Farm Press website, “[t]he team has identified nearly 200 associated enzymes that help break down the problematic plant compound lignocellulose. This compound is the most costly barrier to wide-scale production of cellulosic ethanol because it must be broken down by intense heat or caustic chemicals.” Termites can do it while digesting their lunch.
Scharf’s efforts have won him praise from his peers, ‘“The termite gut is a complicated and exotic package of biodiversity that manages these tasks with an efficiency that you really have to admire,’ said Claudia Husseneder, a specialist in the molecular biology of termites at Louisiana State University who was not associated with UF’s research. ‘Mike’s work is on the cutting edge of understanding this system.”’
Scharf has received a grant from the Department of Energy to help him “develop his work into a product that can be used to help manufacture cellulosic ethanol.” So for now, the research continues.
To read the story on the Southeast Farm Press website click here.
Posted: 11/12/09
