In the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass for production of various commodity materials such as bioethanol and others, it is necessary to first hydrolyze the cellulose and hemicellulose portions before fermenting the hexose and pentose sugars in the pretreated substrate. These are usually done separately (SHF) or simultaneously (SSF/SSCF) using suitable microorganisms.
However, it is possible to now clone genes responsible for hydrolysis and fermentation and express them in a single organism which will then produce the product in a single step from the substrate. Some publications refer to this option as direct microbial conversion while some call it consolidated bioprocessing. Are these two terms the same or are they different?
The terms "Direct microbial conversion" (DMC) and "Consolidated bioprocessing" (CBP) are synonymous, as both refer to the integrated process configuration where hydrolytic enzyme production, cellulose/hemicellulose hydrolysis and hexose/pentose co-fermentation are all occurring in a single bioreactor, by a capable microbial system. In 1996 Lynd proposed that the term “consolidated bioprocessing” is preferable to “direct microbial conversion”, because rather than being “direct” or “simultaneous”, the main feature differentiating CBP from both SSF and SHF is the extent of consolidation.
Source: Lynd LR, Weimer PJ, van Zyl WH, Pretorius IS: Microbial cellulose utilization: fundamentals and biotechnology. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2002, 66:506-577.
For more information on CBP search for other publications by Lynd et al., such as:
Lynd LR, Weimer PJ, van Zyl WH, McBride JE, Laser M (2005) Consolidated bioprocessing of cellulosic biomass: an update. Curr Opin Biotechnol 16:577–583
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