Evolutionary adaptation of yeasts for lignocellulosic ethanol production: A review

Abstract

Evolutionary adaptation is a process where an organism undergoes physical or chemical selective pressure, either continuously or intermittently, to promote mutations or adaptive changes that enable the selection of individuals suited to a predetermined biotechnological objective. This review focused on sources that explore the evolutionary adaptation of pentose-fermenting microorganisms to establish resilience or tolerance to inhibitory or cytotoxic compounds that arise during the pre-treatment or processing of lignocellulosic biomass. The study considered articles published within the past 10 years and accessible through Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. The data indicates that yeasts' evolutionary adaptation is a reliable and frequent procedural technique due to its success in enhancing alcoholic fermentation of pentoses from lignocellulosic hydrolysates. This process enhances the genetic makeup of microorganisms in the challenging conditions of hydrolysates, boosting their ability to withstand cytotoxic substances and fermentation inhibitors. This, in turn, leads to an increase in ethanol yield and volumetric productivity.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/interdiinovationscrese-083