Bioenergy: Fungal lipase-mediated biodiesel process technology

Practically, biodiesel production technologies are based on the homogenous catalysis method. This classical method required rigorous feedstock specifications such as low content of water and free fatty acids; thus the increasing demand for an alternative process for producing biodiesel is achieved by lipase technology. Enzymatic biodiesel production uses low temperature and atmospheric pressure, providing ease of recovery of biodiesel and glycerol. Lipases can be easily isolated from animals, plants, and microorganisms, while bacteria, yeast, and fungi are the main sources of commercial lipases. Fungal lipases are mostly used in biodiesel production because transesterification of lipid is also catalyzed by lipase. In the future, screening of lipases and novel reactor design will be addressed for biodiesel production.