Mir, Bilal AhmadMewalal, RiteshMizrachi, EshcharMyburg, Alexander AndrewCowan, Don A.2015-06-262015-06-262014-05Mir, BA, Mewalal, R, Mizrachi, E, Myburg, AA & Cowan, DA 2014, 'Recombinant hyperthermophilic enzyme expression in plants : a novel approach for lignocellulose digestion', Trends in Biotechnology, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 281-289.0167-7799 (print)1879-3096 (online)10.1016/j.tibtech.2014.03.003http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45789Plant biomass, as an abundant renewable carbon source, is a promising alternative to fossil fuels. However, the enzymes most commonly used for depolymerization of lignocellulosic biomass are expensive, and the development of cost-effective alternative conversion technologies would be desirable. One possible option is the heterologous expression of genes encoding lignocellulose- digesting enzymes in plant tissues. To overcome simultaneously issues of toxicity and incompatibility with high-temperature steam explosion processes, the use of heterologous genes encoding hyperthermophilic enzymes may be an attractive alternative. This approach could reduce the need for exogenous enzyme additions prior to fermentation, reducing the cost of the complete processing operation. This review highlights recent advances and future prospects for using hyperthermophilic enzymes in the biofuels industry.en© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Trends in Biotechnology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Trends in Biotechnology, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 281-289, 2014. doi :10.1016/j.tibtech.2014.03.003LignocellulosicBiomassHyperthermophilic enzymesHeterologous expressionSecond-generation biofuelsPostprint Article