Scientists have recently made a breakthrough in understanding how shipworms, also known as “termites of the sea,” digest wood. These mollusks have been known to aid in shipwrecking and sinking parts of the Spanish Armada for centuries. Despite their long history, scientists have only recently been able to determine how they digest wood.
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, discovered that shipworms lack symbiotic microbes in their guts needed to digest lignin, the hardest part of wood. By examining an overlooked sub-organ called the typhlosole, they found symbiotic bacteria that enable shipworms to digest wood. This discovery sheds light on a long-standing mystery and may have implications for the bioeconomy.
The enzymes produced by these bacteria could potentially be used in bio-industrial processes to break down substrates. Additionally, other shipworm symbionts have shown promise as anti-parasitic antibiotics. This finding not only advances scientific knowledge about shipworms but also opens up new possibilities for developing novel biotechnologies.
