Brief Introduction to the Biotechnology of Lignocellulose

Abstract

Biomass resources, from the point of bioconversion, mainly include energy storage substances (e.g., starch, fat, etc.) and the main components of plant cell walls, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Protein, starch, and fat have been utilized extensively and efficiently and have been reported in many times in literature. This book focuses on the application of biotechnologies in natural cellulosic feedstocks; this application has not been fully utilized because of the concomitant formation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. In this chapter, the concept of natural lignocellulose has two meanings. The first refers to renewable resources synthesized through photosynthesis; the second refers to such resources that have a complex intertwined structure of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.