Myceliophthora thermophila: A nature-borne biotechnologist converting agricultural biomass into renewable energy and bioproducts
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Date
2026
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Abstract
Agricultural residues, rich source of cellulose and hemicellulose, are generated in huge amount during harvesting
of crops. Bioconversion of this solid lignocellulosic biomass to value-added products with the help of microbes
may provide an alternate source of renewable energy and other products. Among microorganisms, thermophilic
fungi are most promising because they have to adapt to their natural habitat by developing a complex system.
Myceliophthora thermophila is a remarkably powerful lignocellulolytic fungus that generates an array of enzymes
implicated in the break-down of this biomass. The biochemical, genomic, and secretome analyses of this fungus
have revealed an elaborate enzymatic repertoire that includes hemicellulases, cellulases, laccases, and other
enzymes having auxiliary activities, thereby including almost all the known CAZy families. These enzymes are
useful in complete deconstruction of the lignocellulosic biomass. The mould is amenable to grow efficiently in
submerged and solid-state fermentations using agro-residues and is efficient in biomass degradation at moderate
as well as at high temperatures because of high thermal stability of these enzymes. Thermostable enzymes of
M. thermophila require lesser time for saccharification of various plant-based polysaccharides in comparison to
hydrolytic enzymes from mesophilic fungi. Also, the fungus secretes various important biomolecules of multi
farious biotechnological applications using lignocellulose as substrate.