Natures Digester

Mixotricha paradoxa protozoa live in the intestines of the Australian termite Mastotermes darwiniensis.
The protozoa digest the wood (cellulose) that the termites ingest, and provide their energy for the
termite in a mutualistic relationship. It has now been found that M.paradoxa is also in other symbiotic
relationships with hundreds of other microbes for its locomotion, respiration, and digestion. Scientists
know of these many microbes but do not know all the functions of each. In digestion, M. paradoxa
breaks the cellulose into sugars and acetate, which later breakdown into methane, hydrogen, and
carbon dioxide. Researchers at Caltech are trying to identify which microbes are doing what function in
the process of acetogenesis, the process of making acetate from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The
researchers are trying to identify the RNA responsible for this by looking at all the genetic information in
the termites gut. The significance of acetogenesis is because it is the step moving from inorganic to
organic compounds. At Purdue University, they have found 4,500 bacteria in the termite gut. They have
begun to narrow down which are specifically involved in decomposition of lignin, a rigid material in plant
cells. By finding the gene involved in this type of digestion they hope to next identify the enzymes
involved.

The boinspired technology.
One way this process of cellulose digestion in nature could be used is in the creation of biofuels.
Japanese scientists are working on how wood could be converted to a biofuel, in other words skipping
the entire process of organics becoming crude oil over millions of years. They are also looking at the
bioinspiration of the digestive system of the termite. By using DNA sequencing and analysis of all the
bacterium in the termite gut, they were able to identify the DNA responsible for nitrogen being
converted to ammonia and hydrogen. This ammonia is more able to be a part of biochemical reactions
than the nonreactive nitrogen. Purdue University research by Dr. Michael Scharf has been hunting for
the cellulose digestive enzyme in the termite. In 2011, they talked of discovering these enzymes to
produce biofuels. Then in 2013, they were able to identify some of the genes that are in use during the
termite digestion of the cellulose. The genes responsible for this enzyme have been implanted into
caterpillars, which did produce large amounts of this desired enzyme. The goal for this enzyme
production in large quantities would be to use the enzyme to create sugars from wood, the sugars can
them be fermented into biofuels like ethanol.










Current status and stumbling blocks of this technology.
While many people and blogs think about using termite digestion as bioinspiration to develop new
biofuels, there does not seem to be much research and progress in this area. There are multiple blogs on
how great of idea it is, but I had a lot of difficulty finding articles on the actual research. A major
stumbling block is the lack of knowledge about which organisms, or groups of organisms, are really
doing the cellulose digestion in the termite.

A win for society?
I think this technology would be of great use in our society, whether it be for production of biofuels or
for breakdown and decomposition of cellulose based items when we dispose of them.

Biomimicry or bioinspired?
Using the digestive process of the termite to create new biofuels would be bioinspiration. It is looking at
how nature digests cellulose, then using a part of that process for a different purpose and end result.

References:
1. Van Drisse, C. Traveling small with a nucleus.
http://eukaryoticmicrobe.blogspot.com/2011/12/russian-doll-of-symbiosis.html
2. New gut bacterium discovered in termites digestion of wood Caltech
http://www.caltech.edu/content/new-gut-bacterium-discovered-termites-digestion-wood
3. Wade, N. How termites live on a diet of wood?. New York Times. Nov. 14, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/science/14visuals.html?_r=0
4. Understanding termite digestion could help biofuels, insect control Purdue Agriculture News.
Feb. 18, 2013. http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q1/understanding-termite-
digestion-could-help-biofuels,-insect-control.html
5. Termites digestive system could act as biofuel refinery. Purdue University News Service. July
5, 2011. http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2011/110705ScharfTermites.html