Industrial Applications of Soil Microbes: Production of Enzymes, Organic Acids and Biopigments

Abstract

Commodity chemicals are the intermediates that are generally involved in the synthesis of other high-end products. The increasing demand for various industrial products has upscaled the requirement for commodity chemicals. Originally, the industrial sector was dependent upon conventional and toxic chemicals to sustain its processes. However, the advent of biotechnology led to the development of numerous microbial processes producing enzymes, extremozymes, organic acids, organic solvents, etc., Moreover, the soil environment has diverse forms of microbial communities performing assorted functions. As a result, a thorough understanding of the soil microbiota involved in providing regulatory ecosystem services can aid in the development of exceptional microbial strains capable of meeting the high demand for these commodity chemicals. In addition, the exploitation of these excellent manipulative microbial systems can improve and customize the synthesis of commodity chemicals and thereby reduce the reliance on synthetic and petroleumbased products. This chapter will inform the readers about the applications of soil microbes in industry and their involvement in enzymes, extremozymes, organic acids, and biopigments production.