Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts is calling for submissions to our Collection on Biological Valorization of Lignin into High-value Bioproducts.
As the largest natural reservoir of aromatics, lignin has been considered as a promising feedstock for the sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. Recently, biological valorization of lignin has emerged as a significant potential since ligninolytic microbes in nature have evolved “biological funnel” pathways to metabolize heterogeneous lignin. Technological advances in lignin valorization hold great promise for the bioconversion of lignin into bioproducts, which will empower the sustainability of biorefineries and substantially contribute to carbon neutrality target worldwide.
To make a profitable biological lignin valorization, advanced technical solutions are still required to address the challenges related to lignin bioavailability and bioconversion. We need an in-depth understanding of how emerging technologies depolymerize a highly heterogeneous lignin to improve its bioavailability to microbes. We need to prospect new ligninolytic strains and enzymes toward the degradation of lignin derived molecules. We also need to exploit state-of-art engineering strategies for microbial cell factory design aiming to valorize lignin derived molecules into bioproducts. The above knowledge could drive technological innovation forward and make a sustainable and economically viable lignin valorization.
In this special collection of Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts, we thereby aim to present articles in the area of biological lignin valorization with the description of new biotechnical solutions to efficiently valorize lignin source for bioproducts. This collection will also show current challenges and prospects of biological lignin valorization, and inform future efforts toward lignin biotransformation. This collection is focused on, but not limited to, the publication of Original Research and Review articles on the following areas:
1) Emerging technical strategies for the fractionation and depolymerization of lignin toward bioconversion
2) New prospecting and engineering strategies for ligninolytic strains and enzymes toward the degradation and conversion of lignin derived molecules
3) State-of-art engineering strategies for microbial cell factory aiming to valorize lignin derived molecules into bioproducts
4) Other novel technical strategies for improving lignin bioconversion and advocating the feasibility of lignin valorization
