Recent progress in consolidated bioprocessing

A review of bioactive plant polysaccharides: Biological activities, functionalization, and biomedical applications

Lignocellulosic materials are among the most promising alternative energy resources that can be utilized to produce cellulosic ethanol. However, the physical and chemical structure of lignocellulosic materials forms strong native recalcitrance and results in relatively low yield of ethanol from raw lignocellulosic materials. An appropriate pretreatment method is required to overcome this recalcitrance. For decades various pretreatment processes have been developed to improve the digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass. Each pretreatment process has a different specificity on altering the physical and chemical structure of lignocellulosic materials. In this paper, the chemical structure of lignocellulosic biomass and factors likely affect the digestibility of lignocellulosic materials are discussed, and then an overview about the most important pretreatment processes available are provided. In particular, the combined pretreatment strategies are reviewed for improving the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose and realizing the comprehensive utilization of lignocellulosic materials.

The role of pretreatment in improving the enzymatic hydrolysis

https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/36950/4/A%20mini%20review%20on%20renewable%20sources%20for%20biofuel%20%28BITE%2013667%29.pdf

A mini review on renewable sources for biofuel.

Social and economic development has driven considerable scientific and engineering efforts on the discovery, development and utilization of polymers. Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising biopolymers as it can be produced from nontoxic renewable feedstock. PLA has emerged as an important polymeric material for biomedical applications on account of its properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical strength and process ability. Lactic acid (LA) can be obtained by fermentation of sugars derived from renewable resources such as corn and sugarcane. PLA is thus an eco-friendly nontoxic polymer with features that permit use in the human body. Although PLA has a wide spectrum of applications, there are certain limitations such as slow degradation rate, hydrophobicity and low impact toughness associated with its use. Blending PLA with other polymers offers convenient options to improve associated properties or to generate novel PLA polymers/blends for target applications. A variety of PLA blends have been explored for various biomedical applications such as drug delivery, implants, sutures and tissue engineering. PLA and their copolymers are becoming widely used in tissue engineering for function restoration of impaired tissues due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. The relationship between PLA material properties, manufacturing processes and development of products with desirable characteristics is described in this article. LA production, PLA synthesis and their applications in the biomedical field are also discussed.

https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jam.14290

Polylactic acid: synthesis and biomedical applications.

Enzymatic biodiesel: Challenges and opportunities

Lignin has a significant and largely unrealized potential as a source for the sustainable production of fuels and bulk high-value chemicals. It can replace fossil-based oil as a renewable feedstock that would bring about socio-economic and environmental benefits in our transition to a biobased economy. The efficient utilization of lignin however requires its depolymerization to low molecular weight phenolics and aromatics that can then serve as the building blocks for chemical syntheses of high-value products. The ability of laccase to attack and degrade lignin in conjunction with laccase mediators is currently viewed as one of the potential “breakthrough” applications for lignin valorization. Here we review the recent progress in lignin biodegradation with laccase-mediator systems, and research needs that need to be addressed in this field.

/pdf/lignin-biodegradation-with-laccase-mediator-systems-34ahm3ow0k.pdf

Lignin Biodegradation with Laccase-Mediator Systems

Characterization of thermostable cellulases produced by Bacillus and Geobacillus strains.

Context: Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus (the mycobiont) with a photosynthetic partner (the phytobiont), usually either a green alga or cyanobacter...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/13880209.2011.633089

Biopharmaceutical potential of lichens

We have developed a new, aqueous-based process for production of superabsorbent materials that is catalyst-free and eco-friendly as the superabsorbent was derived from two completely biodegradable ...

Lew P. Christopher

Papers

Enzymatic biodiesel: Challenges and opportunities

Lignin Biodegradation with Laccase-Mediator Systems

Characterization of thermostable cellulases produced by Bacillus and Geobacillus strains.

Biopharmaceutical potential of lichens

Natural Cellulose-Chitosan Cross-Linked Superabsorbent Hydrogels with Superior Swelling Properties