Industrial Robustness: Understanding the mechanism of tolerance for the Populus hydrolysate tolerant strain of Clostridium thermocellum

摘要: An industrially robust microorganism that can efficiently degrade and convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol and next-generation fuels is required to economically produce future sustainable liquid transportation fuels. The anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate microorganism for such conversions but it, like many bacteria, is sensitive to potential toxic inhibitors developed in the hydrolysate produced during biomass processing. Microbial processes leading to tolerance of the inhibitory compounds found in the pretreated biomass hydrolysate are likely complex and involve multiple genes. In this study, a 17.5% v/v Populus hydrolysate tolerant mutant strain of C. thermocellum was developed by directed evolution.