The Role of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes in Biorefinery Development

Abstract

The utilization of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production is a very important step in the transition towards to the circular economy. Within this process, the enzymatic hydrolysis are employed in a conversion of renewable biomass to a value-added product. The predominant polymer in lignocellulose is cellulose and enzymes involved in its degradation are cellulases. Those group of enzymes play a crucial role in biochemical degradation of recalcitrant nature of plant lignocellulose, so marketable demand for them is rapidly growing. A leading enzyme manufacturers, like Novozymes, AB Enzymes, DSM, Genencor DuPont, have already developed a highly efficient cellulose-digesting enzymes cellulases for industrial use. Over time, those enzyme preparations have been improved and novel enzymes innovations in the form of enzyme cocktails have been launched on the market. Consecutively, this great expansion maintains a constant need among researchers for isolating and selecting the novel microorganisms, more potent producers of industrially powerful enzymes.