Action of Thermophiles on Plant biomass to Bioenergy-A Review

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass is the only suitable raw material as a sustainable renewable resource in the production of biofuels. Everyday there are tons and tons of second generation feed stock disposed of. These biodegradable wastes are a high rich source of carbohydrates, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. These wastes can be transformed to bioenergy by the action of microbial and enzymatic processes. Thermophiles are extremophiles that are robust, efficient and can withstand very high range of temperatures during bioprocessing conditions which can be used for this transformation technology from waste to wheels. Thermophiles have high rates of conversion of biomass/ lignocellulose to biofuel due to the influence of its thermostable activity at high temperatures. Native species of thermophiles does not possess high rates of conversion of biomass, yield etc. In order for successful accomplishment of biofuels, the thermophiles have to be metabolically engineered and expressed in heterologous host to augment the conversion rates and yield of biofuel and reduces the amount of by-product yield. Therefore, this review scintillates on the current existing technologies for the effective conversion biomass conversion, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and separate hydrolysis fermentation (SHF) through consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) techniques.