Microorganisms: An Efficient Enhancer of Biofuel Production

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has annexed recognition within the scientific community for the organic waste derived electricity production assisted by microbially catalyzed anodic, and microbial/enzymatic/abiotic cathodic electrochemical reactions. MFC also captured utmost attention and in demand stemming from the continuous rise in human population and world globalization. The continued burning of such non-renewable energy sources not only depletes fossil fuel reservoirs but also contributes to increase in atmospheric CO2 levels which is a great threat to the environment i.e. global warming. To, reduce the exponential oversaturation of carbon dioxide in the ecosystem and sustainable energy production noteworthy technological advances for biofuel production has offered excellent opportunities in lipid accumulation and bioconversion. Biofuels of different generations can contribute synergistically to intend the feasibility of the microbial induced pathways in fulfilling energy demand. The chapter portrays, initially on the primitive stage, nutritional aspects for inducing biomass yielding from various microorganism feedstock. Also, this chapter highlights the pretreatment of biomass, the increased production of bio-fuel (biodiesel, bioalcohol, and biogas) using advanced microbial systems. Microbial Biomass production in synergism with nutrient optimization and supplementation have summarized in pertinent to various perspectives. More significantly, the economic perspectives of oleaginous microorganism cultivations are also reviewed along with its possible scheme of utilizing alternative and non-conventional nutrient sources for possible technology scale-ups and commercialization.