Microbial bioprospecting for biorefinery application: Bottlenecks and sustainability

Microbes are important for various desired products via bioconversion routes to produce food, fuel, and feed, which not only include industrially important products but also energy options and bio-molecules. In this regard, microbial bioprospecting is the systematic identification, evaluation, and exploitation of microbial diversity for commercial purposes. A biorefinery is the facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and valuable chemicals from these microbial communities. Microbial pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel applications, fermentation of organic materials for biofuels, enzymes, and valuable products are shaping new pathways for biorefinery applications. Thus, this chapter is aiming to summarize the microbial bioprospecting routes, products from biorefining applications with various challenges of economic stability and energy security in respect of greenhouse gas emission and promote sustainable options.