Metagenomics in the Search for Industrial Enzymes

From bacteria to man, all living organisms are built and maintained by biocatalysts called enzymes. Microorganisms are preferential sources for the production of industrial enzymes due to easy availability, a fast growth rate, and ease in genetic manipulations for elevated enzyme production and process development. Industrial and household catalysis becomes more and more dependent on enzymes because of much faster conversion rates, high selectivity, and production of relatively pure products. Currently, the demand for industrial biocatalysts is increasing constantly by an annual rate of 6.7%. About 40% of bulk chemical synthesis processes that now require environmentally damaging bulk organic solvents and elevated energy inputs are expected to be replaced by enzymatic conversions by 2030. Presently, throughout the world, there is a supportive wave to uphold industrial biotechnology as a potential source of novel industrial enzymes, and the biocatalysts, processes, and bioproducts for the economic sustainability of current industrial applications. Microorganisms offer the richest source of industrial biocatalysts, but they remain largely untapped due to several limitations in existing culture-based methods. Metagenomics is considered as a way to meet the ample demand for novel enzymes, as it undertakes to provide novel enzymes with high process performance compared with known enzymes from culturable microorganisms. Metagenomics is a culture-independent technique for the recovery of complex microbial communities from an environment. This chapter focuses on metagenomics as a promising approach in the search for novel industrial enzymes.