Recent years have seen a tremendous demand in bioenergy. The
technological advancements in the production of second-generation biofuels have
opened a plethora of opportunities for the valorization of natural polymers. Lignin is
one of the most abundant and recalcitrant materials available on earth. Advancements
in genetic engineering, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology applications fueled
tremendous interest in the valorization of lignin into fuels as well as platform and
commodity chemicals. Though there is a growing continuum for biofuel advancements
in recent years, at the same time, a rising upsurge has also been envisaged in the
valorization of waste bioresources. Therefore, this chapter entails about various aspects
and embodiments related to lignin bioconversion and their routes for obtaining various
products. This chapter also highlights current biotechnological interventions for the
improvement of the valorization process as well as the current challenges and future
perspectives in this burgeoning area.
Keywords: Genetically encoded biosensors, Lignin valorization, Microbial fermentation, Metabolic engineering, Metagenomics, Synthetic biology, Value-added products.
