Termites to the rescue....

To what extent will biofuels be part of our energy future?

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Mark
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Termites to the rescue....

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Put a termite in your tank: The secret to renewable fuel?
http://www.greenbang.com/put-a-termite- ... 12511.html
http://news.ufl.edu/2009/11/04/termite-gut-2/

Termites might be destructive pests - they cause more than $1 billion in damage every year in the US alone, but they could also hold the secret to converting plant material into renewable, sustainable fuel. Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have been studying how the insects digest wood via a mixture of enzymes from bacteria and other single-celled creatures that live in termites’ guts, as well as enzymes from termites themselves. After two years of dissecting and analysing gene sequences from termite guts and gut fauna, the research team has now begun to identify which of those genes encode for enzymes that could be used to improve the production of cellulosic ethanol.
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