Termite gut microbes can help turn toxic wood into biofuels

By James Urquhart

Formosan-termit “Coptotermes formosanus” invasive termite, nicknamed the super-termite due to the fact that of its destructive habits; Shutterstock ID 1078415000; purchase_order: PHOTO; job: 22 June 2021 Online; client: NS; other:

Shutterstock / Dan Olsen

Termites are renowned for devouring wood. Now, bacteria successful 1 termite species’ guts person been shown to interruption down toxic creosote, which is utilized to sphere wood. The uncovering could beryllium utile for turning harmful chemically treated wood discarded into biofuels.

Termites’ guts are tiny bioreactors teeming with microbes that let the insects to digest pugnacious lignin and cellulose successful wood. Previous studies suggest these gut microorganisms could beryllium cardinal …