Urban mining from biomass, brine, sewage sludge, phosphogypsum and e-waste for reducing the environmental pollution: Current status of availability, potential, and technologies with a focus on LCA and TEA.

Rapid industrialization, improved standards of living, growing economies and ever-increasing population has led to the unprecedented exploitation of the finite and non-renewable resources of minerals in past years. It was observed that out of 100 BMT of raw materials processed annually only 10% is recycled back. This has resulted in a strenuous burden on natural or primary resources of minerals (such as ores) having limited availability.

Next generation applications of lignin derived commodity products, their life cycle, techno-economics and societal analysis.

The pulp and biorefining industries produce their waste as lignin, which is one of the most abundant renewable resources. So far, lignin has been remained severely underutilized and generally burnt in a boiler as a low-value fuel. To demonstrate lignin's potential as a value-added product, we will review market opportunities for lignin related applications by utilizing the thermo-chemical/biological depolymerization strategies (with or without catalysts) and their comparative evaluation.

2G waste lignin to fuel and high value-added chemicals: Approaches, challenges and future outlook for sustainable development.

Lignin is produced as a byproduct in cellulosic biorefinery as well in pulp and paper industries and has the potential for the synthesis of a variety of phenolics chemicals, biodegradable polymers, and high value-added chemicals surrogate to conventional petro-based fuels. Therefore, in this critical review, we emphasize the possible scenario for lignin isolation, transformation into value addition chemicals/materials for the economic viability of current biorefineries. Additionally, this review covers the chemical structure of lignocellulosic biomass/lignin, worldwide availability of lignin and describe various thermochemical (homogeneous/heterogeneous base/acid-catalyzed depolymerization, oxidative, hydrogenolysis etc.

Natural deep eutectic solvents for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment: Recent developments, challenges and novel opportunities.

Conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals has attracted immense research and development around the world. Lowering recalcitrance of biomass in a cost-effective manner is a challenge to commercialize biomass-based technologies. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are new 'green' solvents that have a high potential for biomass processing because of their low cost, low toxicity, biodegradability, easy recycling and reuse.

Investigating the enzyme-lignin binding with surfactants for improved saccharification of pilot scale pretreated wheat straw.

In this study, commercial surfactants have been investigated at economically viable dosage to enhance the enzymatic saccharification of pretreated wheat straw at high solid loadings. Twenty one surfactants were evaluated with pilot scale pretreated wheat straw and mechanism of surfactant action has been elucidated. One surfactant has improved the saccharification of dilute acid wheat straw (DAWS) by 26.

Untreated wheat straw: potential source for diverse cellulolytic enzyme secretion by Penicillium janthinellum EMS-UV-8 mutant.

Study describes the production of cellulases by Penicillium janthinellum EMS-UV-8 using untreated wheat straw (WS), treated WS (acid, alkali, steam exploded, organo-solv) and pure cellulosic substrates (avicel, cellulose-II and carboxymethyl cellulose). Severely pretreated WS and cellulose-II produced more cellulolytic enzymes than untreated samples. XRD and FTIR analysis revels that the increase in the amorphous structure of pretreated WS/cellulose increases enzyme production.

Development of a β-glucosidase hyperproducing mutant by combined chemical and UV mutagenesis.

The extracellular β-glucosidase from microorganisms is generally produced in low levels. Therefore, in this study, a β-glucosidase hyperproducing mutant was developed by multiple exposures of ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation (both individually and jointly) to Bacillus subtilis strain (PS). The developed mutants were screened, selected and characterized.

Rapid detection of cadmium-resistant plant growth promotory rhizobacteria: a perspective of ELISA and QCM-based immunosensor.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) pseudomonads have a large number of lipopolysaccharides on the cell surface, which induces immune responses. Cd-resistant PGPR prevalent at the Cd-affected sites under biophytostabilization was monitored. Transmissiom electron microscopy was used to the study the behavior of tolerance of PGPR to cadmium level and its effect on pseudomonad strains (Z9, S2, KNP2, CRPF, and NBRI).

Comparative biodegradation of HDPE and LDPE using an indigenously developed microbial consortium.

A variety of bacterial strains were isolated from waste disposal sites of Uttaranchal, India, and some from artificially developed soil beds containing maleic anhydride, glucose, and small pieces of polyethylene. Primary screening of isolates was done based on their ability to utilize high- and low-density polyethylenes (HDPE/LDPE) as a primary carbon source. Thereafter, a consortium was developed using potential strains.