GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Termite damage costs the U.S. more than $1 billion each year, but that same destructive power might help solve one of the nation’s most pressing economic quandaries: sustainable fuel production.

After years of genetic sequencing, University of Florida researchers are beginning to harness the insects’ ability to churn wood into fuel. That ability involves a mixture of enzymes from symbiotic bacteria and other single-celled organisms living in termites’ guts, as well as enzymes from the termites themselves.

<b>Jordan Jones</b> is listed as one of Florida's five newcomers for the 2009-10 season because she has yet to play in a actual game wearing the Gator orange & blue. She has, however, endured an entire year of practicing ....

Omar Hunter hasn’t felt this good since he started playing football. After coming in to Florida before the 2008 season at 308 pounds and ballooning to 330 when he was injured, the redshirt freshman defensive tackle is now down to a lean and mean 295 pounds and opposing offensive linemen are starting to take notice.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The oyster lover’s axiom of edibility — that this shellfish is safest to eat in any month with an “r” in it — may soon become somewhat of a culinary anachronism, thanks to a new food-safety test developed with help from the University of Florida.

Oysters are typically considered safest to eat in cooler months (September through April) because the shellfish-infecting bacteria in the genus Vibrio flourish best in warm temperatures.

University of Florida head coach <b>Becky Burleigh </b> addressed the media Monday morning as part of the Gators' All-Sports Media Day.

Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow was one of 22 student-athletes chosen for the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams® Tuesday. The team honors dedicated and hard-working student-athletes for their off-the-field achievements.

Gainesville Sun sports columnist Pat Dooley takes a look back at Florida's game against Troy, offers predictions for the game against Tennessee and talks with guest star and former UF quarterback Noah Brindise.

Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow threw four touchdowns and rushed for another as the No. 1 Gators chalked up their second win of the 2009 season, their 12th straight, with a, 56-6, victory over the Troy Trojans (0-2) Saturday afternoon in front of 90,349 fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

By Robbie Andreu
Staff writer
It's hard to judge a team based on one performance against a badly out-manned opponent. But Florida's 62-3 victory over Charleston Southern did reveal some things about this UF team.

Looking back on the 2008 football season, Gator fans still bask in the glow of the 24-14 win over Oklahoma last January that brought home the program's third national championship. UF begins its 2009 campaign on Sept. 5 against Charleston Southern in The Swamp.