Gribbles?  A wood eating marine pest may lead to a breakthrough in biofuels?  What’s next?  Teredo worms as a cure for cancer?   An intriguing article from the Times. Thanks to Alaric  Bond for the reference.

‘Gribble’ marine pest may be key to biofuel breakthrough, say scientists

A marine pest could be the key to a biofuel breakthrough, say scientists. Gribble, which resemble pink woodlice, plagued seafarers for centuries by boring through the planks of ships and destroying wooden piers.  But now environmental scientists are taking a keen interest in the crustaceans.

A team of British researchers has learnt that gribble have a gift for digesting wood not seen in any other animal.  Enzymes produced by the tiny creatures are able to break down woody cellulose and turn it into energy-rich sugars meaning that gribble could convert wood and straw into liquid biofuel.  A gribble-like processing plant could make sugars from woody raw material that can be fermented into alcohol-based fuels for vehicle engines.