LC-MS/MS used in biofuel study

Scientists have used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to gain further insight into the enzymatic repertoire involved in plant polysaccharide degradation by the lower termite C. gestroi.

A team from the Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia do Bioetanol in Brazil hoped that they could learn more about lignocellulosic materials, as they have recently been highlighted as a sustainable resource for the biofuel industry, however the production of biofuel is currently a complicated and lengthy undertaking.

"The understanding of a termite gut biology and feeding strategies may improve the current state of biomass conversion technology and bioproduct production," the team noted in the study, which was published in Biotechnology for Biofuels.

Using LC-MS/MS, the team analysed crude body extracts from C. gestroi and undertook global proteomic analysis of the termite's digestome.

In the report, the scientists explained that "biochemical characterisation of whole body termite extracts evidenced the ability to cleave all types of glycosidic bonds present in plant polysaccharides".

Posted by Fiona Griffiths