Development of Biocatalytic Processes and Green Energy Technologies

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 293

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Ludovico Ariosto, 35, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: biocatalysis; enzymatic catalysis; lipase; biotransfomations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, FE, Italy
Interests: prodrug; bio-based product synthesis; enzyme technologies; natural product synthesis; oxidation

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: biocatalysis; enzyme; lipases; enzymatic synthesis; bioprocess optimization; bio-compounds synthesis; bioreactor; continuous mode; batch; fed-batch; solvent-free reactions; bioactive biomolecules; renewable sources; biotechnological processes; green chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biocatalysis is rapidly reshaping the way we design—and ultimately industrialize—sustainable chemical transformations. This Special Issue, “Development of Biocatalytic Processes and Green Energy Technologies”, seeks original research and critical reviews that advance the frontiers of enzyme-driven manufacturing and renewable energy platforms.

We welcome contributions covering the full spectrum of modern biocatalysis, from molecular discovery to pilot-scale validation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Enzyme and whole-cell catalysis for high-value molecules—stereo- and site-selective routes to active pharmaceutical and nutraceutical ingredients, cascade reactions, and late-stage functionalizations.
  • Polymer and material innovation—enzymatic polycondensation, ring-opening (co)polymerization, and post-polymer modification, facilitating the development of biodegradable plastics and circular-economy polyesters.
  • Hybrid chemo-bio- and flow technologies—integrated catalytic sequences, intensified thin-film or microreactor configurations, and data-driven process control.
  • Bio-electrocatalytic approaches—enzymatic fuel cells, co-factor recycling, and electricity-assisted upgrading of bio-oils or CO2 into value-added products.
  • Green energy interfaces—coupling hydrolases, oxidoreductases, or engineered microbial consortia with renewable hydrogen, sunlight, or waste streams for carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals.

We particularly encourage the submission of manuscripts that document scale-up strategies, preliminary techno-economic/life-cycle assessments, or process intensification and additionally seek studies demonstrating translational relevance across pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and energy–materials sectors.

By combining expertise from biochemical engineering, synthetic biology, polymer science, and green chemistry, this Special Issue aims to showcase enabling technologies that move beyond a laboratory proof of concept toward industrial implementation. We look forward to receiving your contributions, helping to chart the next generation of sustainable biocatalytic and bio-energy solutions.

Dr. Federico Zappaterra
Dr. Pier Paolo Giovannini
Dr. Lindomar Alberto Lerin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sustainable biocatalysis
  • enzymatic process and scale up
  • bio-based polymers
  • hybrid chemo-biotechnologies
  • green energy conversion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 4319 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Synthesis of Lactic Acid from Sugarcane Molasses Collected in Côte d’Ivoire Using Limosilactobacillus fermentum ATCC 9338 in a Batch Fermentation Process
by Asengo Gerardin Mabia, Harinaivo Anderson Andrianisa, Chiara Danielli, Leygnima Yaya Ouattara, N’da Einstein Kouadio, Esaïe Kouadio Appiah Kouassi, Lucia Gardossi and Kouassi Benjamin Yao
Bioengineering 2025, 12(8), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12080817 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 159
Abstract
Lactic acid (LA) is a high-value chemical with growing demand for the production of polymers and plastics and in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, production costs remain a significant constraint when using conventional food-grade substrates. This study investigates Ivorian sugarcane molasses, an [...] Read more.
Lactic acid (LA) is a high-value chemical with growing demand for the production of polymers and plastics and in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, production costs remain a significant constraint when using conventional food-grade substrates. This study investigates Ivorian sugarcane molasses, an abundant agro-industrial by-product, as a low-cost carbon source for LA production via batch fermentation with Limosilactobacillus fermentum ATCC 9338. Molasses was pretreated by acid hydrolysis to improve fermentability, increasing glucose and fructose concentrations. Comparative fermentations using raw and pretreated molasses showed a 75% increase in LA production (32.4 ± 0.03 g/L) after pretreatment. Optimisation using Box–Behnken design revealed that the initial sugar concentration, inoculation rate, and stirring speed significantly influenced lactic acid production. Under optimal conditions, a maximum LA concentration of 52.4 ± 0.49 g/L was achieved with a yield of 0.95 g/g and productivity of 0.73 g/L·h. Kinetic analysis confirmed efficient sugar utilisation under the optimised conditions, and polarimetry revealed a near-racemic lactic acid. A simplified cost analysis showed that molasses could reduce carbon source costs by over 70% compared to refined sugars, supporting its economic viability. This work demonstrates the potential of pretreated molasses under robust fermentation conditions as a sustainable and cost-effective substrate for LA production in resource-limited contexts. The approach aligns with circular bioeconomy principles and presents a replicable model for decentralised bioproduction in a developing country like Côte d’Ivoire. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Biocatalytic Processes and Green Energy Technologies)
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