Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising feedstock to sustainably produce useful biocommodities. However, its recalcitrance to hydrolysis limits its commercial utility. One attractive strategy to overcome this problem is to use consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) microbes to directly convert biomass into chemicals and biofuels. Several industrially useful microbes possess desirable consolidated bioprocessing characteristics, yet they lack the ability to degrade biomass. Engineering these microbes’ surfaces to display cellulases and cellulosome‐like structures could endow them with potent cellulolytic activity, enabling them to be used in CBP. In this chapter, we discuss recent progress in engineering the surfaces of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and lactic acid bacteria. We discuss the techniques used to display cellulases on their surfaces, their recombinantly achieved cellulolytic activities, and current obstacles that limit their utility.
Part of the book: Biomass Volume Estimation and Valorization for Energy