Microbial Cellulases and Their Applications in the Pulp and Paper Industry

Cellulose is earth’s major biopolymer and is of immense economic importance across the globe. It is the primary structural component of the plant cell wall accounting for over half of the carbon in the biosphere. Synthesis and degradation of approximately 1.5 × 10¹² tons of cellulose were estimated annually, and it is considered an almost inexhaustible source of raw material for the synthesis of different products. Hence, the conversion of cellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars and alcohol through cellulase produced by various cellulolytic organisms as “biological catalysts” has attracted worldwide attention.