ABSTRACT
Hydrolysis is the first step in biological reclamation processes in which the cellulosic fraction of wastes is converted into useful products. Among the more important of these products are methane, ethanol, and single-cell protein, all of which involve a biological process at some point. The hydrolysis step constitutes the first part of the "indirect" production of single-cell protein. Studies on the conversion of cellulose and its degradation products to single-cell protein have been concerned mostly with the production of the yeast forms of the fungi, especially Candida utilis, and much less so with the production of bacterial proteins. The degradation of cellulose generally is understood to imply a reduction in the average degree of polymerization of the polymer. To better understand the mechanisms and the controlling factors involved in the hydrolysis of cellulose, it is necessary to have at least some knowledge of the chemistry of cellulose.
