AUTHOR=Tsegaye Kindu Nibret , Alemnew Marew , Berhane Nega 

TITLE=Saccharomyces cerevisiae for lignocellulosic ethanol production: a look at key attributes and genome shuffling

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2024.1466644

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2024.1466644

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=<p>These days, bioethanol research is looking at using non-edible plant materials, called lignocellulosic feedstocks, because they are cheap, plentiful, and renewable. However, these materials are complex and require pretreatment to release fermentable sugars. <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic>, the industrial workhorse for bioethanol production, thrives in sugary environments and can handle high levels of ethanol. However, during lignocellulose fermentation, <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic> faces challenges like high sugar and ethanol concentrations, elevated temperatures, and even some toxic substances present in the pretreated feedstocks. Also, <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic> struggles to efficiently convert all the sugars (hexose and pentose) present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. That’s why scientists are exploring the natural variations within <italic>Saccharomyces</italic> strains and even figuring out ways to improve them. This review highlights why <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic> remains a crucial player for large-scale bioethanol production from lignocellulose and discusses the potential of genome shuffling to create even more efficient yeast strains.</p>