458
M. Paul et al.
1 Introduction
Fossil fuel sources such as coal, oil, natural gas have contributed to the drastic
increase in the level of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere resulting in the
need for alternative energy sources that are environmentally friendly, renewable, and
sustainable (Ballesteros et al. 2006). Biomass is readily accessible around the world as
residual wastes and agriculture biomass can be used as eco-friendly, renewable, and
sustainable energy sources. The most important and abundant renewable biomass
resources include crop residues such as corn straw, wheat straw, and rice straw.
China has abundant biomass resources, as it is one of the largest agriculture-based
economics in the world. China produces approximately 216 million metric tons
of corn straw per annum and more than half of that remains utilized. Corn straw
contains nonedible plant material so-called lignocellulose and is mainly composed
of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin.
Bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass promises to achieve a great
emphasis; however, the process has several challenges and limitations such as
biomass transport, biomass handling, and efficient pretreatment methods for total
delignification of lignocellulosic and appropriate fermentative organism. Conventionally, bioethanol is produced from the processing of starch and sucrose-based feedstock, utilizing enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification, leading to the production
of relatively clean glucose pool. However, the food and feed crops for energy production crisis have promoted the need for bioethanol production from sources other than
the feedstocks with direct food and feed values.
In the current study, soil sample was collected from Similipal Biosphere Reserve
(SBR). Similipal Biosphere Reserve located in the northern part of Odisha and
spreading over an area of 5578 km
2 is one of the prominent biological hotspots
enriched in various floral, faunal, and microbial communities. The uneven geophysical condition of this biosphere reserve influences the diversity of floral and faunal
distribution. Several studies in relation to flora and fauna diversity have been undertaken in this ecosystem. However, very less attempt has been made to assess the
microbial diversity form this unique biosphere reserve. The soils of Similipal forests
are associated with lignocellulosic waste materials and are good source of lignocellulolytic microorganisms. Hence, in the present study, an attempt has been made to
isolate and identify some of the cellulose-degrading soil bacteria from this biosphere
reserve and to assess the cellulose production ability for possible use in bioethanol
production from lignocellulosic biomasses. There are attempts being made in the
present study to isolate and screening of cellulose-degrading bacteria from the rhizospheric soil sample from SBR. Maximum cellulase enzyme production from the most
potent bacterial isolates has also been conducted using various parameters such as
temperature, pH, incubation time, and substrate concentration.
M. Paul et al.
1 Introduction
Fossil fuel sources such as coal, oil, natural gas have contributed to the drastic
increase in the level of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere resulting in the
need for alternative energy sources that are environmentally friendly, renewable, and
sustainable (Ballesteros et al. 2006). Biomass is readily accessible around the world as
residual wastes and agriculture biomass can be used as eco-friendly, renewable, and
sustainable energy sources. The most important and abundant renewable biomass
resources include crop residues such as corn straw, wheat straw, and rice straw.
China has abundant biomass resources, as it is one of the largest agriculture-based
economics in the world. China produces approximately 216 million metric tons
of corn straw per annum and more than half of that remains utilized. Corn straw
contains nonedible plant material so-called lignocellulose and is mainly composed
of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin.
Bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass promises to achieve a great
emphasis; however, the process has several challenges and limitations such as
biomass transport, biomass handling, and efficient pretreatment methods for total
delignification of lignocellulosic and appropriate fermentative organism. Conventionally, bioethanol is produced from the processing of starch and sucrose-based feedstock, utilizing enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification, leading to the production
of relatively clean glucose pool. However, the food and feed crops for energy production crisis have promoted the need for bioethanol production from sources other than
the feedstocks with direct food and feed values.
In the current study, soil sample was collected from Similipal Biosphere Reserve
(SBR). Similipal Biosphere Reserve located in the northern part of Odisha and
spreading over an area of 5578 km
2 is one of the prominent biological hotspots
enriched in various floral, faunal, and microbial communities. The uneven geophysical condition of this biosphere reserve influences the diversity of floral and faunal
distribution. Several studies in relation to flora and fauna diversity have been undertaken in this ecosystem. However, very less attempt has been made to assess the
microbial diversity form this unique biosphere reserve. The soils of Similipal forests
are associated with lignocellulosic waste materials and are good source of lignocellulolytic microorganisms. Hence, in the present study, an attempt has been made to
isolate and identify some of the cellulose-degrading soil bacteria from this biosphere
reserve and to assess the cellulose production ability for possible use in bioethanol
production from lignocellulosic biomasses. There are attempts being made in the
present study to isolate and screening of cellulose-degrading bacteria from the rhizospheric soil sample from SBR. Maximum cellulase enzyme production from the most
potent bacterial isolates has also been conducted using various parameters such as
temperature, pH, incubation time, and substrate concentration.