Abstract
Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a system in which cellulase production, substrate hydrolysis, and fermentation are accomplished in a single process step by cellulolytic microorganisms. CBP offers the potential for lower biofuel production costs due to simpler feedstock processing, lower energy inputs, and higher conversion efficiencies than separate hydrolysis and fermentation processes, and is an economically attractive near-term goal for “third generation” biofuel production. In this review article, production of third generation biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks will be addressed in respect to the metabolism of cellulolytic bacteria and the development of strategies to increase biofuel yields through metabolic engineering.
Highlights
With world energy consumption predicted to increase 54 % between 2001 and 2025, considerable focus is being directed towards the development of sustainable and carbon neutral energy sources to meet future needs [1]
Biofuels are an attractive alternative to current petroleum-based fuels as they can be utilized as transportation fuels with little change to current technologies and have significant potential to improve sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a biofuel-based economy depends on the improvement of biofuel yields via the successful development of suitable microorgansims capable of efficiently fermenting a variety of sugars while simultaneously displaying tolerance to high end-product concentrations
Summary
With world energy consumption predicted to increase 54 % between 2001 and 2025, considerable focus is being directed towards the development of sustainable and carbon neutral energy sources to meet future needs [1]. Discarded cellulosic biomass derived from forestry, agriculture, and municipal sources are potential feedstocks for the synthesis of biofuels (and other value-added bioproducts) that could displace fossil fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions [3, 4]. Current strategies to produce fuel ethanol from cellulose, referred to as “second-generation” biofuels, utilize simultaneous saacharification and fermentation (SSF) or simultaneous saacharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) [5, 6]. Both SSF and SSCF require extensive pre-treatment of the cellulosic feedstock by steam-explosion and/or acid treatment, followed by addition of exogenously produced cocktails of cellulolytic enzymes to hydrolyse cellulose chains and release the glucose monomers required for fermentation.
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