Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 12, 2025
Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol
Published on: October 24, 2016
Utilizing yeasts for the conversion of renewable feedstocks to sugar alcohols - a review
Anna Maria Erian1, Michael Sauer1
1CD-Laboratory for Biotechnology of Glycerol, Muthgasse 18, Vienna, Austria; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
Sugar alcohols are widely marketed compounds. They are useful building block chemicals and of particular value as low- or non-calorigenic sweeteners, serving as sugar substitutes in the food industry. To date most sugar alcohols are produced by chemical routes using pure sugars, but a transition towards the use of renewable, non-edible feedstocks is anticipated. Several yeasts are naturally able to convert renewable feedstocks, such as lignocellulosic substrates, glycerol and molasses, into sugar alcohols. These bioconversions often face difficulties to obtain sufficiently high yields and productivities necessary for industrialization. This review provides insight into the most recent studies on utilizing yeasts for the conversion of renewable feedstocks to diverse sugar alcohols, including xylitol, erythritol, mannitol and arabitol. Moreover, metabolic approaches are highlighted that specifically target shortcomings of sugar alcohol production by yeasts from these renewable substrates.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Microbial Fermentation
01:20Fates of Pyruvate
In aerobic organisms, pyruvate is metabolized via the citric acid cycle to produce reduced coenzymes NADH and FADH2. These coenzymes are then oxidized in the electron transport chain to produce ATP and, in the process, regenerate the NAD+ and FAD. As seen in some cell types and organisms, fermentation...
01:29Fermentation
Fermentation is a type of metabolic process that occurs in the absence of oxygen, where organic molecules such as glucose are broken down to produce energy. During this process, the...
02:15Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
02:23Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
02:48Conversion of Alcohols to Alkyl Halides