Next-Gen Biofuels: Innovations in Microbial Fermentation and Metabolic Networks
A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026 | Viewed by 14
Special Issue Editors
Interests: adsorption; biofuel production; biological wastewater treatment; bioprocess engineering; fermentation biotechnology; kinetics; water engineering; wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biofilm reactors; waste-to-energy technologies; biogas; dark fermentation; anaerobic digestion; renewable energy; waste valorization; integrated biorefineries; circular bioeconomy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global energy transition is driving an urgent search for renewable and sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Among these, biofuels derived from microbial fermentation are emerging as key players to meet the growing demand for low-carbon energy carriers. Recent advances in microbial biotechnology, systems biology, and metabolic engineering are reshaping the landscape of biofuel production, enabling the creation of next-generation biofuels such as biohydrogen, biobutanol, biomethane, and advanced bioethanol with improved yields and tailored properties.
This Special Issue, Next-Gen Biofuels: Innovations in Microbial Fermentation and Metabolic Networks, aims at highlighting the most recent breakthroughs that integrate microbiology, metabolic design, and process engineering to push beyond the limitations of conventional biofuel technologies. New tools in synthetic biology and genome editing—such as CRISPR-based approaches and dynamic regulatory circuits—are accelerating the construction of robust microbial cell factories capable of efficiently converting lignocellulosic biomass, industrial waste streams, and CO2-rich gases into high-value biofuels.
Metabolic network modeling and systems-level optimization now allow unprecedented control over key pathways, improving redox balance, substrate utilization, and tolerance to product-related stress. Novel microbial consortia, co-cultivation strategies, and dark fermentation processes are enabling the simultaneous production of hydrogen, methane, and organic acids, creating integrated biorefinery concepts with minimized waste and improved energy recovery.
Furthermore, coupling microbial fermentation with renewable energy sources and carbon capture strategies offers the potential to achieve near-zero or even negative greenhouse gas emissions. Advances in bioprocess design—such as continuous fermentation, adaptive laboratory evolution, and smart bioreactor monitoring—are enhancing scalability and economic feasibility, bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial implementation.
In this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that explore innovative metabolic engineering, novel microbial strains, advanced fermentation systems, and integrated process concepts contributing to the next generation of sustainable biofuels.
By gathering interdisciplinary contributions, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive perspective on the future of microbial fermentation as a cornerstone of the global bioeconomy and the decarbonization of energy systems.
Prof. Dr. Massimiliano Fabbricino
Dr. Gennaro Trancone
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
- next-generation biofuels
- microbial fermentation
- metabolic engineering
- dynthetic biology
- dark fermentation
- biohydrogen production
- biogas and biomethane
- lignocellulosic biomass conversion
- microbial consortia
- systems metabolic modeling
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