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Termites & the Cellulosic Ethanol Production Process

Research from the University of Florida suggests that these pests might hold the secret to converting tough plant material into renewable fuel. There are plenty of reasons for some people to despise termites, but this may finally be one reason to appreciate them.

The termite’s digestive process takes advantage of a complex mixture of enzymes from symbiotic bacteria, primitive single-celled organisms residing in the termite’s stomach (gut fauna), as well as enzymes originating from the termites themselves.

After years of studying the genetic sequencing of these digestive variables, UF researchers have identified 6,555 different genes from the termites and related gut fauna that are necessary for termite digestion. They reported on October 15 in the online journal Biotechnology for Biofuels that they have begun to identify which of these genetic codes could significantly increase the efficiency of cellulosic ethanol production.

Cellulosic ethanol is a fuel made from tough, inedible plant material, like the wood in a home that a termite colony leaves pockmarked. The U.S. Department of Energy has predicted that cellulosic ethanol could replace 30-50 percent of the domestic gasoline market if the process could be made more cost-efficient. The most costly obstacle to major production is the compound lignocellulose, because it must be broken down by high heat exposure or by exposure to chemicals. The termite breaks down this tough compound through simple digestion.

“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, the head of the research team.

To date, the UF team has cataloged almost 200 enzymes that help the termite digest lignocellulose, a step that could pave the way to revolutionizing the cellulosic ethanol industry and drastically cutting U.S. fossil fuel consumption.

In September, Scharf and the Maryland-based firm Chesapeake-PERL Inc. were provided funding to continue their research in the form of a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The explicit purpose of the continued research is to eventually develop the research into a product that could be used to make the ethanol production process more efficient and market-worthy.

Termites and their symbiotic gut fauna are not intended to have much to do with the processes that the researchers hope to develop. The useful genes will most likely be transferred to a more suitable insect, possibly caterpillars, to enable industrial enzyme production on a mass market scale.