Chapter 2
Application of Microorganisms for Biofuel
Production
Nidhi Jaiswal, Aparna Agarwal, and Abhishek Dutt Tripathi
Abstract Increase in global energy demand, rise in crude oil prices, depletion of
resources and environmental challenges have resulted in the need of biofuels which
are a renewable, sustainable, efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly source of
energy with the potential to replace conventional petroleum-based fuels. Biofuel
production using lignocellulosic biomass has now been promoted and the process is
made cost-effective by the use of microorganisms which are currently being
researched for important biofuel production like biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, etc.
from various substrates. The isolated strains of different microorganisms have been
studied as well as genetically modified species have been developed, to improve
their metabolic capabilities to utilize the organic feedstock in order to produce
biofuel as its final products. The present chapter outlines the role of microorganisms
in the conversion of biomass into biofuels, their potential to replace conventional
fuels, along with different approaches to be applied to improve biofuel production.
Keywords Biofuels · Biomass · Microorganism · Fermentation · Biodiesel ·
Biobutanol
2.1 Introduction
The increasing demand for natural resources such as crude oil has led to increase in
industrialization and globalization, which increases global warming. Non-renewable
natural resources like coal, crude oil and natural gas account for 80% of the total
energy consumed all over the world, out of which nearly 58% is being used up in
transport sector. The non-renewable source of fuels is getting exhausted and caused
greenhouse emissions which have led to adverse effects in the environment such as
N. Jaiswal · A. Agarwal (*)
Department of Food and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
A. D. Tripathi
Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Srivastava et al. (eds.), Bioenergy Research: Basic and Advanced Concepts, Clean
Energy Production Technologies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4611-6_2
35
Application of Microorganisms for Biofuel
Production
Nidhi Jaiswal, Aparna Agarwal, and Abhishek Dutt Tripathi
Abstract Increase in global energy demand, rise in crude oil prices, depletion of
resources and environmental challenges have resulted in the need of biofuels which
are a renewable, sustainable, efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly source of
energy with the potential to replace conventional petroleum-based fuels. Biofuel
production using lignocellulosic biomass has now been promoted and the process is
made cost-effective by the use of microorganisms which are currently being
researched for important biofuel production like biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, etc.
from various substrates. The isolated strains of different microorganisms have been
studied as well as genetically modified species have been developed, to improve
their metabolic capabilities to utilize the organic feedstock in order to produce
biofuel as its final products. The present chapter outlines the role of microorganisms
in the conversion of biomass into biofuels, their potential to replace conventional
fuels, along with different approaches to be applied to improve biofuel production.
Keywords Biofuels · Biomass · Microorganism · Fermentation · Biodiesel ·
Biobutanol
2.1 Introduction
The increasing demand for natural resources such as crude oil has led to increase in
industrialization and globalization, which increases global warming. Non-renewable
natural resources like coal, crude oil and natural gas account for 80% of the total
energy consumed all over the world, out of which nearly 58% is being used up in
transport sector. The non-renewable source of fuels is getting exhausted and caused
greenhouse emissions which have led to adverse effects in the environment such as
N. Jaiswal · A. Agarwal (*)
Department of Food and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
A. D. Tripathi
Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Srivastava et al. (eds.), Bioenergy Research: Basic and Advanced Concepts, Clean
Energy Production Technologies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4611-6_2
35