Saccharomyces cerevisiae for lignocellulosic ethanol production: a look at key attributes and genome shuffling

Abstract

These days, bioethanol research is looking at using non-edible plant materials, called lignocellulosic feedstocks, because they are cheap, plentiful, and renewable. However, these materials are complex and require pretreatment to release fermentable sugars. <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, the industrial workhorse for bioethanol production, thrives in sugary environments and can handle high levels of ethanol. However, during lignocellulose fermentation, <i>S. cerevisiae</i> faces challenges like high sugar and ethanol concentrations, elevated temperatures, and even some toxic substances present in the pretreated feedstocks. Also, <i>S. cerevisiae</i> struggles to efficiently convert all the sugars (hexose and pentose) present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. That's why scientists are exploring the natural variations within <i>Saccharomyces</i> strains and even figuring out ways to improve them. This review highlights why <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> remains a crucial player for large-scale bioethanol production from lignocellulose and discusses the potential of genome shuffling to create even more efficient yeast strains.