Global study of the effect of artificial diets on the microbiota of Reticulitermes flavipes. termite gut metagenome

The aim of our work was to identify the modifications generated by the application of artificial diets to the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Six diets were tried: crystalline cellulose, crystalline cellulose and lignin, alpha-cellulose, alpha-cellulose and lignin, xylan and poplar wood. The contents of termite guts were inoculated in flasks containing a minimal medium added with the corresponding carbon sources. Then, DNA was extracted before achieving the microbiota analysis.