Integrated microbial processes for biofuels and high value-added products: the way to improve the cost effectiveness of biofuel production

The production of microbial biofuels is currently under investigation, as they are alternative sources to fossil fuels, which are diminishing and their use has a negative impact on the environment. However, so far, biofuels derived from microbes are not economically competitive. One way to overcome...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2014-02, Vol.98 (3), p.1043-1053
Main Authors: da Silva, Teresa Lopes, Gouveia, Luísa, Reis, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Algae
Alternative energy sources
Alternative fuels
Bacteria
Bacteria - metabolism
Biodiesel fuels
Biofuels
Biofuels - microbiology
Biomass
Biomass energy
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biorefineries
Biotechnology
Biotechnology - economics
Biotechnology - methods
Carbohydrates
Carbon dioxide
Carotenoids
Cost-Benefit Analysis
E coli
Economic aspects
Economics
Energy industry
Environmental impact
Ethanol
Fatty acids
Food
Fuels
Genetic engineering
Glucose
Glycerol
Hydrogen
Life Sciences
Lipids
Metabolism
Microalgae - metabolism
Microbial Genetics and Genomics
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Mini-Review
Pharmaceuticals
Raw materials
Reduction
Studies
Waste streams
Yeast
Yeasts
Yeasts - metabolism
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Summary:The production of microbial biofuels is currently under investigation, as they are alternative sources to fossil fuels, which are diminishing and their use has a negative impact on the environment. However, so far, biofuels derived from microbes are not economically competitive. One way to overcome this bottleneck is the use of microorganisms to transform substrates into biofuels and high value-added products, and simultaneously taking advantage of the various microbial biomass components to produce other products of interest, as an integrated process. In this way, it is possible to maximize the economic value of the whole process, with the desired reduction of the waste streams produced. It is expected that this integrated system makes the biofuel production economically sustainable and competitive in the near future. This review describes the investigation on integrated microbial processes (based on bacteria, yeast, and microalgal cultivations) that have been experimentally developed, highlighting the importance of this approach as a way to optimize microbial biofuel production process.
ISSN:0175-7598
1432-0614
DOI:10.1007/s00253-013-5389-5