The Anaerobic Fungi: Challenges and Opportunities for Industrial Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production

Lignocellulose is a promising feedstock for biofuel production as a renewable, carbohydrate-rich and globally abundant source of biomass. However, challenges faced include environmental and/or financial costs associated with typical lignocellulose pretreatments needed to overcome the natural recalci...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microorganisms (Basel) 2021-03, Vol.9 (4), p.694
Main Authors: Saye, Luke M G, Navaratna, Tejas A, Chong, James P J, O'Malley, Michelle A, Theodorou, Michael K, Reilly, Matthew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anaerobic fungi
Anaerobic microorganisms
Anaerobic processes
Biodiesel fuels
bioethanol
biofuel
Biofuels
biohydrogen
Biomass
Carbohydrates
Cattle
Conversion
dark fermentation
Digestive system
Electrolysis
Electrolytic cells
Enzymes
Ethanol
Fatty acids
Feeds
Fermentation
Fungi
Genetic engineering
Herbivores
Lignocellulose
Livestock
Mammals
Methanogenesis
Microorganisms
Nutrition
Pretreatment
Retention
Review
Sheep
Stomach
Substrates
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Lignocellulose is a promising feedstock for biofuel production as a renewable, carbohydrate-rich and globally abundant source of biomass. However, challenges faced include environmental and/or financial costs associated with typical lignocellulose pretreatments needed to overcome the natural recalcitrance of the material before conversion to biofuel. Anaerobic fungi are a group of underexplored microorganisms belonging to the early diverging phylum Neocallimastigomycota and are native to the intricately evolved digestive system of mammalian herbivores. Anaerobic fungi have promising potential for application in biofuel production processes due to the combination of their highly effective ability to hydrolyse lignocellulose and capability to convert this substrate to H and ethanol. Furthermore, they can produce volatile fatty acid precursors for subsequent biological conversion to H or CH by other microorganisms. The complex biological characteristics of their natural habitat are described, and these features are contextualised towards the development of suitable industrial systems for in vitro growth. Moreover, progress towards achieving that goal is reviewed in terms of process and genetic engineering. In addition, emerging opportunities are presented for the use of anaerobic fungi for lignocellulose pretreatment; dark fermentation; bioethanol production; and the potential for integration with methanogenesis, microbial electrolysis cells and photofermentation.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms9040694