Microbial enzyme systems for biomass conversion: emerging paradigms

Abstract

The contemporary relevance of biofuels as an attractive replacement for liquid fossil fuels has rekindled global interest in the conversion of cellulosic biomass – the most abundant renewable source of carbon and energy on our planet. In order to achieve efficient systems for such a formidable substrate, we take guidance from the native enzyme systems of the microbes that have evolved to rid the natural environment of plant-derived wastes. These cellulolytic bacteria and fungi employ a diversity of contrasting but complementary mechanisms for the hydrolysis of cellulose and other related complex plant cell wall polysaccharides. This review covers various known microbial approaches for attacking the recalcitrance problem in the conversion of cellulosic biomass to soluble sugars en route to a biofuels-based society.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the US Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of the Biological and Environmental Research, through the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), a DOE Bioenergy Research Center, by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (grant nos 966/09 and 159/07) and from the United States–Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), Jerusalem, Israel. Edward A Bayer is the incumbent of The Maynard I. and Elaine Wishner Chair of Bio-organic Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.