Surfactants are essential for a wide variety of biotechnological applications in areas of food, cosmetics, household cleaning products, agriculture, oil recovery, and environmental remediation. Despite great progress, there remain opportunities for research on metabolic engineering and bioproduction of microbial biosurfactants in terms of process efficiency and diversity of available compounds. Moreover, with the increasing demand for renewable, biodegradable ingredients, research must focus on improving the sustainability of surfactants and the shift away from sulfate-based and other non-renewable surfactants.

Microbially derived surfactants, called biosurfactants, provide a promising alternative to synthetic surfactants, displaying better availability and being generally nontoxic and biodegradable. Biosurfactants also have the advantage of diverse chemical properties and the potential to be less expensive. They demonstrate properties such as reducing surface tension, stabilizing emulsions, and promoting foaming. With many promising research results, a consolidated resource of biosurfactant knowledge is needed to build a framework for further development of applications. Biosurfactants: Research Trends and Applications fills this need, covering the latest research and development on relevant aspects of biological, biochemical, and physical processes and applications of biosurfactants. This book reviews current knowledge and the latest advances, strategies for improving production processes, and the status of biosynthetic and genetic regulation mechanisms for microbial surfactants. Chapters present research findings on specific biosurfactants, such as high surface activity rhamnolipids, yeast-derived sophorolipids, lipopeptides, and trehalose lipids that have potential for environmental, industrial, and medical uses. The book also describes sources and characteristics of marine microbial biosurfactants, biosurfactants made from food processing by-products and biosurfactants used in the food industry, and biosurfactants for green synthesis of nanoparticles. The text presents applications of biosurfactants in environmental industries and examines interactions between metals and various classes of biosurfactants and related metal remediation technologies. The final chapter reviews the state of the art of biosurfactants and their applications, and proposes approaches to overcome any challenges.

Providing comprehensive discussions of the physical and chemical properties, manufacture, and industrial uses of biosurfactants, this reference offers first-hand accounts of biosurfactant research of leading biotechnology laboratories. It introduces promising possible uses of biosurfactants in medicine, in environmental control, and for marine organisms. In contributions of more than 30 leading international experts, the text reviews the biosynthetic mechanisms for surfactants and their precursor molecules; explicates the biophysics of microbial surfactants and examines the production of immobilized biocatalysts, lipopeptides, and rhamnolipids. It also presents information on the economics of biosurfactants.

Biobased Surfactants: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications, Second Edition, covers biosurfactant synthesis and applications and demonstrates how to reduce manufacturing and purification costs, impurities, and by-products. Fully updated, this book covers surfactants in biomedical applications, detergents, personal care, food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nanotechnology. It reflects on the latest developments in biobased surfactant science and provides case scenarios to guide readers in efficient and effective biobased surfactant application, along with strategies for research into new applications. This book is written from a biorefinery-based perspective by an international team of experts and acts as a key text for researchers and practitioners involved in the synthesis, utilization, and development of biobased surfactants. Describes new and emerging biobased surfactants and their synthesis and development Showcases an interdisciplinary approach to the topic, featuring applications to chemistry, biotechnology, biomedicine, and other areas Presents the entire lifecycle of biobased surfactants in detail

Stresses the Potential Applications of Biosurfactants in Various Industries Environmental concerns and a demand for sustainable chemical production have become important issues in recent years. As a result, microbial biosurfactant-producing systems are gaining momentum as potential replacements for chemical surfactants. Biosurfactants: Production and Utilization—Processes, Technologies, and Economics explores the production, utilization, and industrial/economic use of biosurfactants in modern biotechnology. This book represents comprehensive material developed by contemporary experts in the field. Focusing on research and developments within the last 20 years, it highlights relevant changes in the industry. It provides a detailed account of the current applications of biosurfactants, considers the potential for further environmental, biological, and industrial applications, and concentrates on surfactants and organisms with possibilities for future use. Emphasizes Process Scale-Up and Commercialization Factoring in the industrial application of biosurfactant production based on renewable resources, the book determines how biosurfactants can enhance or replace the properties of chemically synthesized surface-active agents. It discusses moving beyond the laboratory scale of research and development and on to the industrial scale of commercial interest. The book consists of 17 chapters and features expert authors discussing topics that include: Understanding the regulatory processes controlling the production of biosurfactants Strategies for feasible commercial biosurfactant production Examples of cost analysis based on published information The viability of industrial applications in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals Patents for future trends Biosurfactants: Production and Utilization—Processes, Technologies, and Economics contains special sections devoted to the overview and evaluation of specific patents relating to biosurfactants, and methods for production of biosurfactants on a laboratory and industrial/commercial scale. It also presents novel and proven applications for biosurfactants from a number of biotechnology laboratories and research facilities around the world. In addition, it introduces the reader to a variety of real-world industry techniques readily applicable for practical use.

This book highlights the recent developments on rhamnolipid biosurfactant, its properties, role on the natural environment and various applications. Recently, it has shown promising application in Environment, Agriculture, food, petroleum, and pharmaceutical industries due to its environment-friendly and easily degradable nature. The book emphasizes on the various techniques that are utilized for the detection and isolation of rhamnolipid biosurfactant from microorganisms. It highlights the various aspects of the rhamnolipid biosurfactants including structural characteristics, production, and its application. The book presents the current knowledge and the latest advances in the function-based metagenomics strategies to facilitate the exploration of the novel biosurfactants.