Investigating the actinomycete diversity inside the hindgut of an indigenous termite, Microhodotermes viator

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === Ever since the discovery of a cellulolytic actinomycete inside the gut of a termite, there has been considerable interest in the metabolic abilities and the diversity of these bacteria within this complex environment. However, until fai...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rohland, Jeffrey
Other Authors: Meyers, Paul
Format: Doctoral Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Cape Town 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11344
Description
Summary:Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === Ever since the discovery of a cellulolytic actinomycete inside the gut of a termite, there has been considerable interest in the metabolic abilities and the diversity of these bacteria within this complex environment. However, until fairly recently, most investigations of termite hindguts involved the higher termites from the Termitidae family. Little attention was paid to the lower termites, and even less to the family Hodotermitidae. The main aim of this project was to explore the actinobacterial diversity of the paunch and colon hindgut regions of one particular member of the family Hodotermitidae, Microhodotermes viator. No previous work of this nature has ever been attempted on this particular termite species.