Currently Used Microbes and Advantages of Using Genetically Modified Microbes for Ethanol Production

Abstract

Advancement in biotechnological methods has increased the potential for the commercial development of second-generation biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. In this regard, the methods related to pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass and bioprocesses (second-generation technologies) for production of bioethanol are critical. In spite of all the advances in the field, one of the obstacles continues to be lack of appropriate microorganisms that may be exploited for both the pretreatment of biomass as well as its fermentation. In this chapter, we summarize the advancements in pretreatment methods and discuss the potential of various microbes currently used for ethanol fermentation, their advantages and disadvantages. Efforts have also been made to show the importance of genetically modified organisms and their use in ethanol production wherever possible.