Termites in Your Tank

Abstract

Finding a cheaper way to make ethanol from biological waste products is a top priority around the world. Researchers at dozens of companies addressing the problem say they may find the answer in tiny bioreactors that turn wood into sugar. These centimeter-long chemical factories aren't the product of a government lab or an industry consortium but of millions of years spent perfecting their role as nature's cleanup crew. What are they? Termites - the destructive creatures better known for literally eating us out of house and home. This paper discusses the use of microbes from termites for economic ethanol production