title: From rumen to industry.
abstract: The rumen is one of the most complicated and most fascinating microbial ecosystems in nature. A wide variety of microbial species, including bacteria, fungi and protozoa act together to bioconvert (ligno)cellulosic plant material into compounds, which can be taken up and metabolized by the ruminant. Thus, the rumen perfectly resembles a solution to a current industrial problem: the biorefinery, which aims at the bioconversion of lignocellulosic material into fuels and chemicals. We suggest to intensify the studies of the ruminal microbial ecosystem from an industrial microbiologists point of view in order to make use of this rich source of organisms and enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, BOKU-VIBT University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, Vienna 1190, Austria. michael.sauer@boku.ac.at
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: Diethard
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mattanovich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D017753:Ecosystem; D007221:Industry; D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D012417:Rumen / Q000382:microbiology*