ABSTRACT
In recent years, increase in energy demand and depletion of fossil reserves have led to continual quest for the development of alternative fuels that are eco-friendly and renewable. Lignocellulosic biomass is considered as abundantly available renewable organic sources, which possess an enormous potential to generate sustainable products and energy. This chapter is particularly dedicated to develop an elementary understanding of the technology for biomass conversion to ethanol and other value-added products (xylitol). The features of various pretreatment technologies and detoxification methods are discussed. Emphasis has been made on microbial pretreatment of biomass, bio delignification and fermentation process for ethanol and xylitol production. Recent advances in employing genetically engineered microorganisms for simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation, consolidated bioprocessing and integrated production of ethanol and xylitol are discussed. It provides overview of the current status and reveals the bottlenecks that hamper commercialization of production process.
