Abstract
There is an increased interest in using thermophilic bacteria for the production of bioethanol from complex lignocellulosic biomass due to their higher operating temperatures and broad substrate range. This review focuses upon the main genera of thermophilic anaerobes known to produce ethanol, their physiology, and the relevance of various environmental factors on ethanol yields including the partial pressure of hydrogen, ethanol tolerance, pH and substrate inhibition. Additionally, recent development in evolutionary adaptation and genetic engineering of thermophilic bacteria is highlighted. Recent developments in advanced process techniques used for ethanol production are reviewed with an emphasis on the advantages of using thermophilic bacteria in process strategies including separate saccharification and fermentation, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), and consolidated bioprocessing (CBP).
Highlights
The increasing demand for sustainable biofuels is driving the need for feasible bio-refineries capable of utilizing highly renewable and environmentally friendly feedstock’s to produce high-volume biofuels.The rise in biofuel demand largely stems from targets set by governments in response to an increasingEnergies 2015, 8 awareness of climate change, finite petroleum resources, and geo-political uncertainty while addressing the ever increasing energy demand of industrialized society
This review focuses on thermophilic aneaerobes, their physiology, ethanol production capacity, process advances, and recent advances in the genetic modification of thermophilic ethanologens with a particular emphasis on second generation bioethanol production and the ammenability of thermophiles for consolidated processes
For optimal bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass the microorganisms used need to be robust in several ways
Summary
The increasing demand for sustainable biofuels is driving the need for feasible bio-refineries capable of utilizing highly renewable and environmentally friendly feedstock’s to produce high-volume biofuels. Second generation biofuels address these concerns as they are derived from non-food (lignocellulosic) biomass demonstrating a move towards a more sustainable biofuel production that meets the demand for bioethanol using raw materials and does not compete with food. If bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass is to become economically feasable, sustainable, and competitive with petroleum-derived fuels, several key physiological and process challenges need to be overcomed. This includes the integration of process steps into consolidated processes, achieving higher ethanol titers, as well as avoiding possible inhibition by sugar derivatives that are produced during various pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis processes of complex biomass, and the genetic manipulation of ethanologens. This review focuses on thermophilic aneaerobes, their physiology, ethanol production capacity, process advances, and recent advances in the genetic modification of thermophilic ethanologens with a particular emphasis on second generation bioethanol production and the ammenability of thermophiles for consolidated processes
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