Termite Enzymes Could Be Boon to Cellulosic Ethanol: Research
by Stu Hutson (Physorg.com) Termite spit may soon help fill our gas tanks. University of Florida researchers have isolated two enzymes termites use to break up lignin, a tough plant material that is major problem during the production of cellulosic ethanol.
…During ethanol production, lignin molecules are clumped around the sugar molecules, forming a barrier the microbes often can’t penetrate. So, the material must first be exposed to heat and steam or caustic acids and bases to break that barrier down. These extra steps make the process much more expensive and often generate hazardous waste.
As they report in a paper published online in the journal Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, researchers at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have determined that enzymes found in termite salivary tissues may be able to accomplish the same task, and at room temperature.
“Once we figure out the best way to integrate this sort of enzyme into the process, it could drop the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol significantly,” said UF entomologist Mike Scharf, who led the research, a collaboration between UF/IFAS and the biotechnology company Chesapeake-PERL Inc. of Savage, Md. READ MORE
