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Nobel laureate looks at termites as new energy source

Nobel laureate Steve Chu (朱隸文) said yesterday his lab is studying the possibility of producing energy out of a symbiosis between termites and certain microbes in their bodies, in the hope that the new technology will help reduce the global dependency on oil in the age of increasing oil prices.

Speaking on bio-energy solutions to the energy crisis at a Taiwan's Year of Physics forum, Chu said that as petroleum reserves are "running out," some countries have turned to nuclear power to meet their growing energy demands, but nuclear waste poses a great challenge to scientists.

Other "alternative-energy" sources, like solar and wind power, may not be economically viable or efficient. Bio-energy seems a more reliable source to reduce fossil-fuel dependency, he said.

Biofuel made out of modified genes does not pollute the environment. Moreover, living organisms grow continuously and their output is recyclable, which is why many countries have been using corn, sugar cane and even weeds to produce energy, he said.

For example, Chu said, Brazil has been using sugar cane to produce ethanol to fuel automobiles and the US has been producing energy out of corn.

He then turned to a novel research project at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which he has headed since August last year. The project looks into the possibility of producing energy out of the interaction between termites and certain parasites they carry in their bodies.

Termites create surplus energy that is used by the microbes to turn the insect's cellulose into energy, creating a symbiotic relationship.

This symbiosis inspired Chu to try creating a new generation of microbes which, after being genetically modified, would produce more ethanol or fuel than they need.

His idea is that microbes that can decompose large amounts of cellulose will survive while those that cannot will perish. Step by step, microbes will be created that can effectively produce hydrogen and alcohol.
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