Nanoengineered ligninolytic enzymes for sustainable lignocellulose biorefinery

Lignin is a key structural component of lignocellulosic biomass with immense potential to replace non-renewable and environmentally unfriendly fossil resources. Structural recalcitrance, heterogeneity, and multifaceted composition of lignin are the major impediments to its gainful biotransformation to a spectrum of bio-based products, biomaterials, and specialty chemicals. In contrast to physicochemical methods, harnessing the biocatalytic potential of the robust ligninolytic armory is considered a greener and more sustainable way for lignin biorefinery. Immobilization of ligninolytic enzymes on different nanoengineered support matrices resulted in designing nanobiocatalytic system with intensified catalytic performance and long-term stability for efficient lignocellulosic biomass valorization. Enzyme incorporation on magnetic nanostructures additionally facilitates facile separation, recovery, and reusability of magnetic nanobiocatalysts. Therefore, developing and implementing immobilized ligninolytic enzyme-based nanoengineered biocatalytic systems constitutes a prodigious and eco-sustainable option to catalyze the deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass. The multi-enzyme nano-biocatalytic system offers the advantage of direct substrate conversion into the product in a single step owing to its concurrent biocatalytic attributes. This opinion article spotlights current achievements and state-of-the-art developments in engineering ligninolytic enzymes to create a novel biocatalytic system to create greener and sustainable lignocellulose biorefineries ranging from the production of biomaterials to bioenergy.