Nathanael Johnson, in his article for Grist, covers Lisa Margonelli and her book Underbug: An obsessive tale of termites and technology. Margonelli mentions one particularly vivid fact about termites that piqued my interest.
“Termites, I was told, could turn a piece of paper into a liter of hydrogen.”
Termites are fantastic at breaking down materials. If we could learn from them, we could take this learned knowledge and make fuel from grass or other materials. This is exactly what Scientists have done.
“The Department of Defense poured $100 million into synthetic biology between 2010 and 2014 and got a return on its investment: The termite research helped scientists develop advanced rocket fuel that sells for $25 a gallon.”
The article concludes with words from Margonelli stressing the importance of political action. I also believe sustainable science and technology need support and funding to make substantial impacts. How can you show political support for scientists and Science? To help you can write to, or speak with, your representatives while encouraging others to do the same.
After thinking about how termites are normally viewed, this is definitely an interesting take on how they can help! Besides rocket fuel, are there any other useful products they have helped create?