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| The
Institute for Figuring THE ECOLOGY OF A TERMITE’S GUT |
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| Termite
gut bacteria known as spirochetes, belonging to the genus Treponema. Photos courtesy of Dr. Jared Leadbetter, Caltech. |
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From
the order isoptera, few organisms strike fear into the hearts of homeowners
more than the humble termite. Termites are estimated to cost the southern
California economy more than a billion dollars a year and their ubiquitous
presence has given rise to that peculiar So-Cal contribution to the
tradition of wrapped objects, the tented home. Though fearsome in your
foundations, termite’s penchant for wood commands our respect,
for it is one of the linchpin’s of the global ecology. Around
the world, some 2600 species of termites quietly break down the vast
tonnage of fallen trees and other fibrous biomass, digesting lignan
and cellulose and recycling our forests’ nutrients. They can do
so because of the unique colonies of microbes that live inside their
guts. There - in the absence of oxygen – this unheralded community
performs a miracle of micro-molecular transformation that daily cleanses
our planet and keeps our environment healthy. |
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Worker
termite and gut tract from the species Zootermopsis nevadensis The gut makes up about one third of the insect’s total weight. |
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More than a hundred different species of microbes live
inside a termite’s gut – many of them found nowhere else
on earth and most still a mystery to science. Among this community are
spirochetes related to the bacteria that cause syphilis, tiny protozoans
resembling snails, and Triconymphae whose aquiline bodies suggest microscopic
sea lions. Charting their way by chemotaxis - sensing chemical gradients
in the liquid around them – this interlocking ecology has collectively
evolved the ability to break down even the hardest woods. How they do
this is still largely unknown, but it’s a trick that industry
would love to learn. In theory, if we could simulate a termite’s
gut, wood could be used as a feedstock to produce ethanol as an alternative
to gasoline. |
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Termite
gut protozoan - Streblomastix strix – noses its way along chemical
gradients in the insect’s stomach juice. |
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Dr
Jared Leadbetter, a world expert on termite gut ecology, is an assistant
professor of microbiology at Caltech’s Department of Environmental
Science and Engineering. In this talk, he will take us into the wonderland
of a termite’s stomach and guide us through this microbial Serengeti,
one of the great-uncharted wildernesses on our planet. The event will
include films of termite intestinal flora and examples of termite’s
unintended sculptural triumphs THE INSECT TRILOGY #1 How Flies Fly – Dr. Michael Dickinson (Thurs, May 4) #2 The Ecology of a Termite's Gut – Dr. Jared Leadbetter (Thurs, June 1) #3 What is it Like to be a Spider – Dr. Simon Pollard (Wed, June 28) The Institute For Figuring is a nonprofit organization devoted to enhancing the public understanding of figures and figuring techniques. This lecture series is hosted by Telic Arts Exchange and funded in part by a grant from the Annenberg Foundation. |
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