Consolidated bioprocessing

Abstract

The production of ethanol and other biofuels through the biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass represents a promising path towards sustainably achieving the immense global demand for liquid transportation fuels. While numerous cellulosic ethanol production process configurations exist, the one known as Consolidated Bioprocessing (CBP) stands alone in combining all biologically mediated events into the action of a single organism (i.e., production and secretion of saccharolytic enzymes, hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose, and fermentation of six-carbon and five-carbon sugars into biofuels such as ethanol). We discuss here the major issues with developing CBP technologies including the promises and challenges, the two prominently pursued routes to achieve this technology and several of the most promising candidate organisms. CBP represents a low-risk, high-reward proposition and its pursuit by researchers is most certainly warranted as we look to the future.