Clostridium thermocellum: Engineered for the Production of Bioethanol

Abstract Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate consolidated bioprocessing biocatalyst for the direct conversion of plant biomass-derived material into cellulosic ethanol because of its efficient degradation and utilization of cellulose. This chapter summarizes important C. thermocellum characteristics and highlights recent progress on genome sequences, systems biology studies, and important developments and applications of new genetic tools for metabolic engineering bioethanol production.