ABSTRACT
Civilisations run with the help of fuels. The storage of fossil fuels is limited and after extensive use of these fossil fuels for several centuries, these have come to their fag end and are going to be exhausted in near future. The introduction of alternative fuels like fuels obtained from biological sources can solve the problem due to the renewable nature of biofuels. This chapter explains and enlightens the usage of various commonly available biomasses such as starch, lignocellulosic substances, chitin to produce biofuels like ethanol, butanol etc. by employing extremophilic microbial processes. Extremozymes in harsh conditions favouring the hydrolysis of the complex biopolymers are expressed by the alkalophilic, acidophilic and thermophilic bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic microbes like microalgae and molds. Advantage of using these extremophiles stems from the use of harsh physico-chemical conditions during hydrolysis of the biopolymers. These microbes and enzymes optimally function at those so called harsh conditions. The other alternative biofuels such as methane and biohydrogen production was also discussed since methane combustion is carbon-neutral and H2 combustion decreases the carbon footprints thus considered to be a green, eco-friendly approach.
Highlights of the chapter:
Essence of extreme environment
Classification of extremophiles
Forewords to complex biopolymers
Degradation of various complex biopolymers with extremophilic hydrolytic enzymes by different microbes from extreme environments
Hydrogen production from glycerol wastes of harsh environments
Biomethane production
