Biochemical Conversion of Hemicellulose

Abstract

Renewable carbon from lignocellulosic biomass offers the opportunity to displace petroleum products to foster greater bioeconomy development and sustainability initiatives. Improvements continue to be made in biorefinery processes for the complete utilization of all plant cell wall biopolymers. To achieve this goal, fermentable sugars from hemicellulose should be effectively utilized alongside glucose from cellulose. The polysaccharide xylan is the most abundant form of hemicellulose present in common bioenergy feedstocks such as hardwoods, cereal grasses, and agricultural industry residues. Once deconstructed, the xylan polysaccharide produces the five-carbon sugar xylose. This pentose sugar can be biochemically converted to a wide array of products ranging from bioethanol, organic acids, or higher value chemicals. This chapter explores biochemical conversion strategies for utilizing xylose obtained from lignocellulose biomass to generate biofuels or other value-added chemicals.