Mining for hemicellulases in the fungus-growing termite P. militaris using functional metagenomics. termite gut metagenome

In the present study, we have performed a functional metagenomic analysis on microbiomes associated with Pseudacanthotermes militaris, a fungus-growing termite. Two fosmid libraries were created using metagenomic DNA extracted from samples representing the entire gut and mixed nest material. After construction, individual library clones were screened for the production of hemicellulose-degrading enzymes using chromogenic substrates.