Title :
Termites in Your Tank
fDate :
4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
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
Keywords :
microorganisms; renewable energy sources; biological waste products; bioreactors; chemical factories; economic ethanol production; termite microbes; Biochemistry; Biomass; Companies; Computer bugs; Electrons; Erbium; Ethanol; Microorganisms; Production; Sequences;
Journal_Title :
Spectrum, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/MSPEC.2007.339646