Microbial biosurfactants: challenges and opportunities for future exploitation

R Marchant, Ibrahim Banat

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

190 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The drive for industrial sustainability has pushed biosurfactants to the top of the agenda of many companies. Biosurfactants offer the possibility of replacing chemical surfactants, produced from nonrenewable resources, with alternatives produced from cheap renewable feedstocks.Biosurfactants are also attractive because they are less damaging to the environment yet are robust enough for industrial use. The most promising biosurfactants at the present time are the glycolipids, sophorolipids produced by Candida yeasts, mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) produced by Pseudozyma yeasts, and rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas. Despite thecurrent enthusiasm for these compounds several residual problems remain. This review highlights remaining problems and indicates the prospects for imminent commercial exploitation of a new generation of microbial biosurfactants.
LanguageEnglish
Pages558-565
JournalTrends in Biotechnology
Volume30
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2012

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yeast
nonrenewable resource
surfactant
lipid
sustainability
chemical

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Marchant, R ; Banat, Ibrahim. / Microbial biosurfactants: challenges and opportunities for future exploitation. In: Trends in Biotechnology. 2012 ; Vol. 30, No. 11. pp. 558-565.
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Marchant, R & Banat, I 2012, 'Microbial biosurfactants: challenges and opportunities for future exploitation', Trends in Biotechnology, vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 558-565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2012.07.003

Microbial biosurfactants: challenges and opportunities for future exploitation. / Marchant, R; Banat, Ibrahim.

In: Trends in Biotechnology, Vol. 30, No. 11, 01.11.2012, p. 558-565.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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Marchant R, Banat I. Microbial biosurfactants: challenges and opportunities for future exploitation. Trends in Biotechnology. 2012 Nov 1;30(11):558-565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2012.07.003

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