Horse Bacteria And Latherin Possible Link To A Greener Planet
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There are parts of the world where horses are still used as beasts of burden, and are important work mates in daily life. But these places are becoming rarer. In North America, and most other first-world countries, horses are kept for enjoyment. Science however, is finding that there are ways horses, or their byproducts can be still be very useful to mankind.
Within the digestive tract of horses, exists bacteria, yeasts, molds and enzymes that could help us on our way to more environmentally friendly fuel sources. More crops such as corn and hay are being explored to create bio-fuels. Many of us already drive vehicles that can run on either bio-diesel or a mixture of gas and ethanol, also called flex-fuel, made of corn. Horses may hold the key to making the extraction of these fuels from plants like corn stalks and grass easier.
Cellulose, the tough fibre found in these plants is the raw material for making bio-fuel. Cellulose is surrounded by a tough coating of lignin. Lignin is very hard for biofuel producers to break down, but horses do it easily all the time. Within their digestive system are organisms that do the job efficiently. Science has looked at the enzymes and bacteria before, but didn't understand that the small amount of fungi in the form of yeasts and molds that lives within the horse's digestive system also has a role. Not only do these yeasts and molds love lignin, they also convert the cellulose to sugars that the horse can use. Scientists are now isolating the genetic material of these fungi in hopes that they will be able to create a way to break down tough, non-food plants into biofuels.
You might have heard of the recent oil spill in English Bay, on the coast of British Columbia. And, there have been many other infamous spills, such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico, and the one caused by the tanker the Exon Valdez. According to enviroliteracy.org, 70% of the oil found in waters is due to spills like these. They threaten delicate ecosystems, and are difficult to clean up. Part of the answer to how to clean up these messes may come from horse sweat. If you've ever ridden a horse to a sweat, you might notice that the sweat produces a lather. This is most noticeable between the hind legs or anywhere else where tack or other body parts rub together against the skin.
While human sweat is high in salts, horse sweat is high in protein. The protein responsible for the lathering effect has been named Latherin. Scientists claim that sweating is a very important way for a large animal of flight to cool itself, and the Latherin may aid the process by ensuring that the sweat works its way throughout the hair coat of the horse. Latherin is also present in the horse's saliva, which explains why horses 'foam at the mouth'. Scientist have been working on ways to mimic horses sweat and produce Latherin. Because Latherin is highly biodegradable, and has low toxicity, it may be an effective surfactant which will help lift away oils and make oil spill clean up easier.
So while we may not use horses to power our daily lives, they still have much to contribute to a greener future. |
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