ABSTRACT
The strategies for economical and sustainable conversion of lignocellulose into bioenergy or biofuel products are very limited due to the expense of hydrolyzing enzymes. The slow conversion of lignocellulose to sugars using the enzymes and the low yields of sugars are the major bottlenecks of the enzymes used in the current scenario. These issues can be addressed using enzymes and organisms naturally adapted to environments of extreme temperature (thermophiles). At high temperatures, the bioreactor can provide speedy, effective and consistent conversion of substrates into products due to the increased solubility and hydrolysis of lignocelluloses, as well as a lower potential for contamination. In this study, various thermophilic microorganisms and thermostable enzymes, such as cellulases, were reported for the production of various biofuels. In addition, thermophiles grew on various carbon sources and produced ethanol from cellulose in a single-step process. These thermostable enzymes and robust thermophilic fermentative microbes should facilitate development of more efficient and cost-effective forms of the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process to convert lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels.
