title: Biosurfactants: Multifunctional Biomolecules of the 21st Century.
abstract: In the era of global industrialisation, the exploration of natural resources has served as a source of experimentation for science and advanced technologies, giving rise to the manufacturing of products with high aggregate value in the world market, such as biosurfactants. Biosurfactants are amphiphilic microbial molecules with hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that partition at liquid/liquid, liquid/gas or liquid/solid interfaces. Such characteristics allow these biomolecules to play a key role in emulsification, foam formation, detergency and dispersal, which are desirable qualities in different industries. Biosurfactant production is considered one of the key technologies for development in the 21st century. Besides exerting a strong positive impact on the main global problems, biosurfactant production has considerable importance to the implantation of sustainable industrial processes, such as the use of renewable resources and "green" products. Biodegradability and low toxicity have led to the intensification of scientific studies on a wide range of industrial applications for biosurfactants in the field of bioremediation as well as the petroleum, food processing, health, chemical, agricultural and cosmetic industries. In this paper, we offer an extensive review regarding knowledge accumulated over the years and advances achieved in the incorporation of biomolecules in different industries.
authors.affiliation: Northeast Botechnology Network (RENORBIO), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. danykhadydja@hotmail.com.|Center of Sciences and Technology, Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Rua do Príncipe, 526, Boa Vista, 50050-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. danykhadydja@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Danyelle Khadydja F
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Center of Sciences and Technology, Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Rua do Príncipe, 526, Boa Vista, 50050-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. raqueldrufino@yahoo.com.br.|Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI), Rua Carlos Porto Carreiro, 70, Derby, 50070-090 Recife-PE, Brazil. raqueldrufino@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Raquel D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rufino
authors.affiliation: Center of Sciences and Technology, Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Rua do Príncipe, 526, Boa Vista, 50050-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. julianamouraluna@gmail.com.|Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI), Rua Carlos Porto Carreiro, 70, Derby, 50070-090 Recife-PE, Brazil. julianamouraluna@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Juliana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.affiliation: Center of Sciences and Technology, Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Rua do Príncipe, 526, Boa Vista, 50050-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. valdemir.alexandre@hotmail.com.|Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI), Rua Carlos Porto Carreiro, 70, Derby, 50070-090 Recife-PE, Brazil. valdemir.alexandre@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Valdemir A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Northeast Botechnology Network (RENORBIO), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. leonie@unicap.br.|Center of Sciences and Technology, Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Rua do Príncipe, 526, Boa Vista, 50050-900 Recife-PE, Brazil. leonie@unicap.br.|Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI), Rua Carlos Porto Carreiro, 70, Derby, 50070-090 Recife-PE, Brazil. leonie@unicap.br.
authors.forename: Leonie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sarubbo
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013501:Surface-Active Agents
keywords: biodegradability; biosurfactant; critical micelle concentration; functional properties; industrial applications; kinetics; physiology; recovery; surface tension