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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute.

 

There’s a push now to find the fuel of the future. Will it come from corn? Sugarcane? How about bugs1? University of Florida entomologist Michael Scharf says termites3 may play a major role. He makes that claim in the November issue of the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining.

 

Termites produce enzymes4. Those enzymes work with microorganisms in the bug’s gut5. When termites munch6 their way through your house, the enzymes and microbes together turn wood into simple sugars. Biofuels today come from edible7 plant material, such as starch8 in corn or sugar in sugarcane. There’s a great deal of potential energy in tougher parts of the plants, but it’s locked in something called lignocellulose. Researchers have been investigating heating the woody material, or grinding it and treating it. And a handful of research groups are studying the termite2 system.

 

Scientists have identified a few of the enzymes and microbes involved, but they say it’ll take more research and time to apply this system to our own hunger for biofuels. We may also need to turn to other munching9 bugs like wood-boring beetles10. Maybe someday they’ll be heating our homes, not eating them.

 

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber.
 


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1 bugs e3255bae220613022d67e26d2e4fa689     
adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误
参考例句：
  • All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 termite npTwE     
n.白蚁
参考例句：
  • The termite control was also probed into further in this text.本文还进一步探讨了白蚁的防治方法。
  • Termite often destroys wood.白蚁经常破坏树木。
3 termites 8ee357110f82dc8b267190e430924662     
n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Termites are principally tropical in distribution. 白蚁主要分布在热带地区。 来自辞典例句
  • This spray will exterminate the termites. 这种喷剂能消灭白蚁。 来自辞典例句
4 enzymes 7881ad8ce9c83424f7874e70266ed2d8     
n. 酶，酵素
参考例句：
  • It was said that washing powders containing enzymes remove stains more efficiently. 据说加酶洗衣粉除污更有效。
  • Among the enzymes which are particularly effective are pepsin, papain. 在酶当中特别有效的是胃朊酶、木瓜酶。
5 gut MezzP     
n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏
参考例句：
  • It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
  • My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。
6 munch E1yyI     
v.用力嚼，大声咀嚼
参考例句：
  • We watched her munch through two packets of peanuts.我们看她津津有味地嚼了两包花生米。
  • Getting them to munch on vegetable dishes was more difficult.使他们吃素菜就比较困难了。
7 edible Uqdxx     
n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的
参考例句：
  • Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
  • This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。
8 starch YrAyK     
n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆
参考例句：
  • Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
  • I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。
9 munching 3bbbb661207569e6c6cb6a1390d74d06     
v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果，但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句
10 beetles e572d93f9d42d4fe5aa8171c39c86a16     
n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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