The Contribution of Fungal and Its Enzymatic System Toward Multiproduct Biorefinery and Global Biofuel Research

Currently, lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is recognized as an alternative and renewable carbon sink for sustainable manufacturing of fuels and value-added products (VAP). To harness the full value of LCB biorefineries, discovering the novel enzymes that are capable of acting on recalcitrant LCB could be an innovative approach. Compared with bacteria, crude enzymes from fungal cell factories are more preferred because of their penetration capacity and versatility of substrate utilization. In particular, ligninolytic enzymes of white-rot fungi (WRF), as well as holo-cellulolytic enzymes of soft and brown rot fungi (SRF and BRF), are always preferred for degradation and hydrolysis of complex LCB. However, the cost associated with these enzymes is being considered a major bottleneck for their utilization in LCB biorefinery. Consequently, the main objective of this chapter is to explore the key role of fungi and their enzyme repertoire in LCB degradation and biofuel and VAP generation in a biorefinery system.