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\"Key features : the text provides the most recent information about waste biomass utilization for the production of biofuels and biochemicals. Shows a wide range of novel technologies in the field of biotechnology towards waste biomass utilization. Focuses on the utilization of microbial resources for waste biomass conversion into value-added products. Explores methods for food wastes and crop wastes conversion into biofuels and biochemicals. Provides the scientific information describing various examples and case studies which aid gaining knowledge to researchers and academicians\"-- Provided by publisher.

Synthetic N-heterocyclic compounds, such as quinoxalines, have shown a crucial role in pharmaceutical as well as food and dye industries. However, the traditional synthesis toward N-heterocycles relies on multistep energy and cost-intensive non-sustainable processes. Here, we report a facile approach that allows one-step conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates to valuable quinoxalines in the presence of aryl-1,2-diamines in water without any harmful metal catalysts/organic solvents via spontaneously engineering involved cascade reactions under hydrothermal conditions. Aryl-1,2-diamines are revealed as the key to propel this transformation through boosting carbohydrate fragmentation into small 1,2-dicarbonyl intermediates and subsequently trapping them for constituting stable quinoxaline scaffolds therefore avoiding a myriad of undesired side reactions. The tunability of product selectivity can be also achievable by adjusting the basicity of the reaction environment. Both batch and continuous-flow integrated processes were verified for production of quinoxalines in an exceptionally eco-benign manner (E-factor <1), showing superior sustainability and economic viability.

The derivation of second-generation biofuels from non-edible biomass is viewed as crucial for establishing a sustainable bio-based economy for the future. The inertness of lignocellulosic biomass makes its breakdown for conversion into fuels and other compounds a challenge. Enzyme cocktails can be utilized in the bio-refinery for lignocellulose deconstruction but until recently their costs were regarded as high. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) offer tremendous promise for further process improvements owing to their ability to boost the activity of biomass-degrading enzyme consortia. Combining data from multiple disciplines, progress has been made in understanding the biochemistry of LPMOs. We review the academic literature in this area and highlight some of the key questions that remain. LPMOs have emerged as key enzymes utilized in biology for the degradation of biomass. The identification of new LPMO families and LPMOs within already known families with new enzyme activities is considerably expanding our knowledge of biomass degradation in biology. Efforts to understand the chemistry of these enzymes, which catalyze one of the most challenging oxidations in Nature, has important implications beyond biomass breakdown. Demonstrable benefits of LPMO action on industrially-relevant biomass offer increased hope for the development of a more sustainable bio-based economy for the future.

This paper is based on a lecture presented to the Royal Society in London on 24 June 2019. Two of the grand societal and technological challenges of the twenty-first century are the ‘greening' of chemicals manufacture and the ongoing transition to a sustainable, carbon neutral economy based on renewable biomass as the raw material, a so-called bio-based economy. These challenges are motivated by the need to eliminate environmental degradation and mitigate climate change. In a bio-based economy, ideally waste biomass, particularly agricultural and forestry residues and food supply chain waste, are converted to liquid fuels, commodity chemicals and biopolymers using clean, catalytic processes. Biocatalysis has the right credentials to achieve this goal. Enzymes are biocompatible, biodegradable and essentially non-hazardous. Additionally, they are derived from inexpensive renewable resources which are readily available and not subject to the large price fluctuations which undermine the long-term commercial viability of scarce precious metal catalysts. Thanks to spectacular advances in molecular biology the landscape of biocatalysis has dramatically changed in the last two decades. Developments in (meta)genomics in combination with ‘big data’ analysis have revolutionized new enzyme discovery and developments in protein engineering by directed evolution have enabled dramatic improvements in their performance. These developments have their confluence in the bio-based circular economy. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Science to enable the circular economy'.

Biofuels are clean and renewable energy resources gaining increased attention as a potential replacement for non-renewable petroleum-based fuels. They are derived from biomass that could either be animal-based or belong to any of the three generations of plant biomass (agricultural crops, lignocellulosic materials, or algae). Over 130 studies including experimental research, case studies, literature reviews, and website publications related to bioethanol production were evaluated; different methods and techniques have been tested by scientists and researchers in this field, and the most optimal conditions have been adopted for the generation of biofuels from biomass. This has ultimately led to a subsequent scale-up of procedures and the establishment of pilot, demo, and large-scale plants/biorefineries in some regions of the world. Nevertheless, there are still challenges associated with the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass, such as recalcitrance of the cell wall, multiple pretreatment steps, prolonged hydrolysis time, degradation product formation, cost, etc., which have impeded the implementation of its large-scale production, which needs to be addressed. This review gives an overview of biomass and bioenergy, the structure and composition of lignocellulosic biomass, biofuel classification, bioethanol as an energy source, bioethanol production processes, different pretreatment and hydrolysis techniques, inhibitory product formation, fermentation strategies/process, the microorganisms used for fermentation, distillation, legislation in support of advanced biofuel, and industrial projects on advanced bioethanol. The ultimate objective is still to find the best conditions and technology possible to sustainably and inexpensively produce a high bioethanol yield.

Biomass has been demonstrated as a capable source of energy to fulfill the increasing demand for clean energy sources which could last a long time. Replacing fossil fuels with biomass-based ones can potentially lead to a reduction of carbon emissions, which is the main target of the EU climate strategy. Based on RED II (revised Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU) and the European Green Deal, biomass is a promising energy source for achieving carbon neutrality in the future. However, the sustainable potential of biomass resources in the forthcoming decades is still a matter of question. This review aims at estimating the availability of biomass for energy reasons in the EU, and to evaluate its potential to meet the coal power plant capacity of the main lignite-producer countries, including Germany, Poland and Greece. Plants in line with the sustainability criteria of RED II have been selected for the preliminary estimations concerning their full conversion to the biomass power concept. Furthermore, the various barriers to biomass utilization are highlighted, such as the stranded asset risk of a future coal phase-out scenario, biomass supply chain challenges, biomass availability in main lignite-producer EU countries, the existing full conversion technologies, and biomass cost. A variety of challenges in the scenario of lignite substitution with biomass in a plant are investigated in a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Technological risks and issues should be tackled in order to achieve the coal phase-out EU goal, mainly with regard to the supply chain of biomass. In this direction, the development of logistics centers for the centralized handling of biomass is strongly recommended.

The worldwide fossil fuel reserves are rapidly and continually being depleted as a result of the rapid increase in global population and rising energy sector needs. Fossil fuels should not be used carelessly since they produce greenhouse gases, air pollution, and global warming, which leads to ecological imbalance and health risks. The study aims to discuss the alternative renewable energy source that is necessary to meet the needs of the global energy industry in the future. Both microalgae and macroalgae have great potential for several industrial applications. Algae-based biofuels can surmount the inadequacies presented by conventional fuels, thereby reducing the ‘food versus fuel’ debate. Cultivation of algae can be performed in all three systems; closed, open, and hybrid frameworks from which algal biomass is harvested, treated and converted into the desired biofuels. Among these, closed photobioreactors are considered the most efficient system for the cultivation of algae. Different types of closed systems can be employed for the cultivation of algae such as stirred tank photobioreactor, flat panel photobioreactor, vertical column photobioreactor, bubble column photobioreactor, and horizontal tubular photobioreactor. The type of cultivation system along with various factors, such as light, temperature, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and pH affect the yield of algal biomass and hence the biofuel production. Algae-based biofuels present numerous benefits in terms of economic growth. Developing a biofuel industry based on algal cultivation can provide us with a lot of socio-economic advantages contributing to a publicly maintainable result. This article outlines the third-generation biofuels, how they are cultivated in different systems, different influencing factors, and the technologies for the conversion of biomass. The benefits provided by these new generation biofuels are also discussed. The development of algae-based biofuel would not only change environmental pollution control but also benefit producers' economic and social advancement.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are abundant in nature and best known for their role in the enzymatic conversion of recalcitrant polysaccharides such as chitin and cellulose. LPMO activity requires an oxygen co-substrate, which was originally thought to be O2, but which may also be H2O2. Functional characterization of LPMOs is not straightforward because typical reaction mixtures will promote side reactions, including auto-catalytic inactivation of the enzyme. For example, despite some recent progress, there is still limited insight into the kinetics of the LPMO reaction. Recent discoveries concerning the role of H2O2 in LPMO catalysis further complicate the picture. Here, we review commonly used methods for characterizing LPMOs, with focus on benefits and potential pitfalls, rather than on technical details. We conclude by pointing at a few key problems and potential misconceptions that should be taken into account when interpreting existing data and planning future experiments.

The significant increase in demand for fuels and chemicals driven by global economic expansion has exacerbated concerns over fossil fuel consumption and environmental pollution. To achieve sustainable production of fuels and chemicals, biomass resources provide a rich repository for carbon‐neutral, green renewable energy, and organic carbon. This paper reviews the transformation and utilization of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives, emphasizing their valorization into high‐quality chemicals and biofuels. The advantages and disadvantages of various pretreatment methods are discussed based on the composition of lignocellulose. Furthermore, the methods and pathways for the valorization and conversion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are detailed according to the unique functional groups of different lignocellulosic platform molecules. However, the complex and resilient structure of biomass presents challenges for the disassembly and utilization of single components, and achieving high yields and selectivity for target products remains difficult. In conclusion, this paper comprehensively reviews the various types and pretreatment technologies of lignocellulose, focusing on the methods and pathways for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives, thereby providing clear guidance and insights for optimizing lignocellulose utilization in the future. In recent years, many reviews have primarily focused on the conversion of biomass into biofuels or its value‐added through various methods, such as pretreatment methods, conversion techniques, and types of catalysts. Therefore, this paper comprehensively summarizes the latest progress in the conversion of lignocellulose into high‐value chemicals and fuels. While briefly introducing the structure of biomass, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different pretreatment methods and further explores the main pathways and methods for the value‐added of cellulose/hemicellulose and lignin (Figure 1). In the future, the development of biomass conversion technology will focus on the design and development of efficient catalysts, particularly those with high activity, selectivity, and stability, as well as the optimization of biocatalysts. In terms of process integration and optimization, coupling different conversion technologies with intelligent control can enhance overall efficiency and economic viability. The advancement of biomass value‐added technologies will promote the efficient and sustainable utilization of biomass resources, providing a solid technical foundation for the development of a green economy.