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Fermentation
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Bioprocesses for Biomass Valorization in Biorefineries
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Bioprocesses for Biomass Valorization in Biorefineries

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 4076

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Thais S. Milessi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luíz, Km 235, São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil
Interests: bioethanol; biotechnological use of agro-waste; cellular and enzymatic immobilization; enzymatic technology; recombinant microorganisms
Dr. Andreza A. Longati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luíz, Km 235, São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil
Interests: biorefineries; biomass valorization; techno-economic assessment; life-cycle assessment; modeling and simulation of bioprocesses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of renewable and sustainable processes for the production of chemicals and fuels from non-petrochemical sources is one of the major challenges of modern society. The transition of the global energy matrix is imperative to mitigate environmental impacts, and biomass is seen as the most foreseeable feedstock to replace fossil sources in the production of fuels and chemicals in a biorefinery context. Additionally, the insertion of value-added products together with primary products (biofuel and electricity) in a biorefinery portfolio mitigates the environmental impacts associated with 2G processes and is an interesting approach to achieve the feasibility of second generation (2G) biofuels. The high cost of biomass processing is still one of the main technological challenges faced by biorefineries. In this sense, this Special Issue aims to publish recent and innovative research results as well as review papers on biomass valorization and biorefinery development. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Biomass pretreatment;
  • Biomass hydrolysis;
  • Biofuels production in biorefineries;
  • Biomass valorization through high value-added chemicals;
  • Consolidated bioprocessing and integrated processes;
  • Capture and biological use of CO2;
  • Optimization and technical-economic evaluation;
  • Life cycle analysis.

Dr. Thais S. Milessi
Dr. Andreza A. Longati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biorefinery
  • biomass valorization
  • sustainability
  • integrated processes
  • life cycle assessment
  • bioprocess engineering
  • techno-economic assessment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1990 KiB  
Article
Hydrotalcites as a Promising Adsorbent for Hemicellulose Hydrolysate Detoxification in Xylitol Production
by Débora D. V. da Silva, Kelly J. Dussán, Isabela A. L. Costa, Marcus B. S. Forte and Maria G. A. Felipe
Fermentation 2025, 11(5), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11050243 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 108
Abstract
The worldwide demand for sustainable bioprocesses is undeniable, as well as for research aimed at the biotechnological exploitation of lignocellulosic materials, especially their hemicellulosic fractions rich in xylose. Various bioproducts can be obtained from these fractions, although some bottlenecks still exist, such as [...] Read more.
The worldwide demand for sustainable bioprocesses is undeniable, as well as for research aimed at the biotechnological exploitation of lignocellulosic materials, especially their hemicellulosic fractions rich in xylose. Various bioproducts can be obtained from these fractions, although some bottlenecks still exist, such as the presence in hemicellulosic hydrolysates of compounds that are toxic for microorganisms, which requires a previous step of detoxification to reduce them to non-inhibitory levels. The present investigation proposes the use of hydrotalcites as a new detoxifying agent for the hemicellulosic hydrolysate of sugarcane straw to produce xylitol by Candida tropicalis, aiming at a greater removal of phenolics and less loss of sugars. The design of these experiments was used for factorial effect analysis in a simultaneous way; the influences of pH and temperature were evaluated, considering the detoxification process at different times for both uncalcined and calcined hydrotalcite adsorbents. While for the calcined hydrotalcite, the temperature was the significant factor, for the uncalcined, there was also an influence of pH and little effect on the factors of yield and productivity. The effectiveness of hydrotalcites as demonstrated in this research, mainly regarding the ability to reduce the content of phenolic compounds in hydrolysates with a low loss of sugar content, followed by fermentability to produce xylitol, is a strong requirement for the proposition of these new adsorbents in investigations of the development of sustainable technologies for obtaining bioproducts in a biorefinery context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocesses for Biomass Valorization in Biorefineries)
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27 pages, 3414 KiB  
Article
Improving the Feasibility of 2G Ethanol Production from Lignocellulosic Hydrolysate Using Immobilized Recombinant Yeast: A Technical–Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment
by Luísa Pereira Pinheiro, Andreza Aparecida Longati, Andrew Milli Elias, Caroline Lopes Perez, Laís Portugal Rios da Costa Pereira, Teresa Cristina Zangirolami, Felipe Fernando Furlan, Roberto de Campos Giordano and Thais Suzane Milessi
Fermentation 2025, 11(3), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11030116 - 2 Mar 2025
Viewed by 839
Abstract
This work addresses the technical–economic–environmental analysis of a 1G2G ethanol integrated process using immobilized recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae and crude sugarcane bagasse acid hydrolysate mixed with molasses. Three case studies were evaluated and compared with the traditional 1G plants. The minimal ethanol-selling price and [...] Read more.
This work addresses the technical–economic–environmental analysis of a 1G2G ethanol integrated process using immobilized recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae and crude sugarcane bagasse acid hydrolysate mixed with molasses. Three case studies were evaluated and compared with the traditional 1G plants. The minimal ethanol-selling price and the life cycle assessment using CML-IA midpoint indicators were chosen as the economic and environmental metrics, respectively. The values found for the ethanol-selling price ranged from 472.92 USD/m3 to 966.53 USD/m3 for the integrated case studies. Compared to the average sales value of 1G ethanol (673.48 USD/m3), the first and second case studies were interesting for their economic viability, while the third case study would require a 43.5% increase in the price of ethanol to achieve production profitability. In the environmental assessment, the integrated 2G ethanol processes of the first and third case studies allowed for the increase in ethanol production per ton of sugarcane processed without decreasing the environmental performance of the process. The third case study presented the lowest environmental impact indicators, except for global warming potential and photochemical oxidation categories, highlighting the importance of the development of biomass pretreatment strategies with lower carbon footprint. The strategy of integrating the 2G process into a 1G ethanol biorefinery offers interesting economic and environmental values, allows the use of hemicellulose, and contributes to the development of 2G processes in sugarcane biorefineries and to the sustainability of the processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocesses for Biomass Valorization in Biorefineries)
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16 pages, 2261 KiB  
Article
Extractive Ethanol Fermentation with Ethanol Recovery by Absorption in Open and Closed Systems
by Kaio César da Silva Rodrigues, Ivan Ilich Kerbauy Veloso, Diego Andrade Lemos, Antonio José Gonçalves Cruz and Alberto Colli Badino
Fermentation 2025, 11(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11010012 - 2 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1119
Abstract
Conventional ethanol production has limitations, including substrate and product inhibitions, which increase both energy requirements for ethanol recovery and vinasse generation. Extractive fermentation, which removes ethanol as it is produced within the fermentation vat, offers an effective alternative to reducing the inhibitory effects [...] Read more.
Conventional ethanol production has limitations, including substrate and product inhibitions, which increase both energy requirements for ethanol recovery and vinasse generation. Extractive fermentation, which removes ethanol as it is produced within the fermentation vat, offers an effective alternative to reducing the inhibitory effects in conventional processes. However, an efficient method for recovering the extracted ethanol is also crucial. Thus, this study investigated an alternative ethanol production process using extractive ethanol fermentation integrated with ethanol recovery by absorption in both open and closed systems, specifically, comparing scenarios with and without CO2 recirculation produced during fermentation. The recovery system used two absorbers connected in series using monoethylene glycol (MEG) as an absorbent. Under extractive fermentation conditions without CO2 recirculation, the conversion of 300.0 g L−1 of substrate resulted in a total ethanol concentration of 135.2 g L−1, which is 68% higher than that achieved in conventional fermentation (80.4 g L−1). The absorption recovery efficiency reached 91.6%. In the closed system, with CO2 recirculation produced by fermentation, 280.0 g L−1 of substrate was consumed, achieving ethanol production of 126.0 g L−1, with an absorption recovery percentage of 98.3%, similar to that of industrial facilities that use a gas scrubber tower. Additionally, the overall process efficiency was close to that of conventional fermentation (0.448 gethanol gsubstrate−1). These results highlight the potential of this alternative process to reduce vinasse volume and energy consumption for ethanol recovery, lowering total costs and making it a viable option for integrated distilleries that combines ethanol production with other related processing operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocesses for Biomass Valorization in Biorefineries)
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Review

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27 pages, 5684 KiB  
Review
Membrane-Assisted Dark Fermentation for Integrated Biohydrogen Production and Purification: A Comprehensive Review
by Octavio García-Depraect, Laura Vargas-Estrada, Raúl Muñoz and Roberto Castro-Muñoz
Fermentation 2025, 11(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11010019 - 3 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1702
Abstract
The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the membrane-assisted dark fermentation process for bioH2 production and purification. This review initially analyses the need for and the current state of the art in H2 production through dark [...] Read more.
The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the membrane-assisted dark fermentation process for bioH2 production and purification. This review initially analyses the need for and the current state of the art in H2 production through dark fermentation, evaluating the research landscape and the maturity level of the technology. Key factors influencing the dark fermentation process are then examined, along with emerging research trends in membrane-assisted fermentative H2 production systems. This review subsequently addresses the challenges inherent to dark fermentation and explores potential opportunities to enhance H2 production efficiency. Special attention is given to membrane technology as a promising strategy for process intensification in bioH2 production and recovery. Finally, this review provides an in-depth discussion of inorganic membranes, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), and thin and ultrathin membranes, evaluating each membrane type in terms of its advantages, limitations, and purification performance. This review offers valuable insights into intensifying the dark fermentation process by leveraging membrane technology to enhance bioH2 production and purification efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprocesses for Biomass Valorization in Biorefineries)
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