Substantial microbial contribution to bioethanol production

Abstract

The bioethanol produced from lingo-cellulosic biomass relies substantially on microbial functions which may be difficult to understand due to the processes involved: the complex nature of the substrate and enzymes, numerous choices for the pre-treatment of biomass, and the interdisciplinary aspects of the subject. These complexities are summarized here. Microbial functions can be required for the saccharification, fermentation, and pre-treatment of biomass, the saccharification process almost completely relying on microbial enzymes. The use of a commercial enzyme based on Trichoderma sp. should be maximized to achieve both the optimum activity for lingo-cellulosic biomass degradation and reduced cost. Continuing investigation on the diversity of microbial enzyme systems will also identify future candidates beyond Trichoderma sp.