There is an increased interest in using thermophilic bacteria for the production of bioethanol from complex lignocellulosic biomass due to their higher operating temperatures and broad substrate range. This review focuses upon the main genera of thermophilic anaerobes known to produce ethanol, their physiology, and the relevance of various environmental factors on ethanol yields including the partial pressure of hydrogen, ethanol tolerance, pH and substrate inhibition. Additionally, recent development in evolutionary adaptation and genetic engineering of thermophilic bacteria is highlighted. Recent developments in advanced process techniques used for ethanol production are reviewed with an emphasis on the advantages of using thermophilic bacteria in process strategies including separate saccharification and fermentation, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), and consolidated bioprocessing (CBP).

Mannitol-containing macro algae biomass, such as Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria digitata, are a potential feedstock for the production of biofuels such as bioethanol. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the ability of thermophilic anaerobes within Class Clostridia to ferment mannitol and mannitol-containing algal extracts. Screening of the type strains of six genera, Caldanaerobius, Caldanaerobacter, Caldicellulosiruptor, Thermoanaerobacter, Thermobrachium, and Thermoanaerobacterium) was conducted on 20 mM mannitol and revealed that 11 of 41 strains could utilize mannitol with ethanol being the dominant end-product. Mannitol utilization seems to be most common within the genus of Thermoanaerobacter (7 of 16 strains) with yields up to 88% of the theoretical yield in the case of Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus. Six selected mannitol-degrading strains (all Thermoanaerobacter species) were grown on mannitol extracts prepared from A. nodosum and L. digitata. Five of the strains produced similar amounts of ethanol as compared with ethanol yields from mannitol only. Finally, T. pseudoethanolicus was kinetically monitored using mannitol and mannitol extracts made from two macro algae species, A. nodosum and L. digitata for end-product formation.