Termite gut microbes could aid biofuel production

(American Chemical Society) Wheat straw, the dried stalks left over from grain production, is a potential source of biofuels and commodity chemicals. But before straw can be converted to useful products by biorefineries, the polymers that make it up must be broken down into their building blocks. Now, researchers reporting inACS Sustainable Chemistry& Engineering have found that microbes from the guts of certain termite species can help break down lignin, a particularly tough polymer in straw.

Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - February 17, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news