Screening for Cellulase-Encoding Clones in Metagenomic Libraries

Modern biotechnology has the steady need to continuously identify novel enzymes for use in biotechnological applications. In industrial applications, however, enzymes often have to function under extreme and nonnatural conditions (i.e., in the presence of solvents, high temperature and/or at extreme pH values). Cellulases have many industrial applications from the generation of bioethanol, a realistic long-term energy source, to the finishing of textiles. These industrial processes require cellulolytic activity under a range of pH, temperature, and ionic conditions, and they are usually carried out by mixtures of cellulases. Investigation of the broad diversity of cellulolytic enzymes involved in the natural degradation of cellulose is necessary for optimization of these processes.