Microbial biosurfactant research: time to improve the rigour in the reporting of synthesis, functional characterization and process development

• Published in: Microbial biotechnology Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 147 - 170
• Main Authors: Twigg, Matthew Simon, Baccile, Niki, Banat, Ibrahim M., Déziel, Eric, Marchant, Roger, Roelants, Sophie, Van Bogaert, Inge N. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.01.2021; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Agrochemicals; Biomedical materials; Bioremediation; Biosurfactants; Biosynthesis; Biotechnology; Chemical analysis; Chemical Sciences; Cultivation; Enhanced oil recovery; Exploitation; High performance liquid chromatography; Life Sciences; Lipids; Liquid chromatography; Low molecular weights; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Material chemistry; Microorganisms; Minireview; Minireviews; Molecular weight; Oil recovery; Surface-Active Agents; Surfactants; Textiles; Toiletry products; Virulence; Virulence factors
• ISSN: 1751-7915; 1751-7915
• DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13704

The demand for microbially produced surface‐active compounds for use in industrial processes and products is increasing. As such there has been a comparable increase in the number of publications relating to the characterisation of novel surface‐active compounds; novel producers of already characterised surface‐active compounds and production processes for the generation of these compounds. We devised this review as a guide to both researchers and the peer review process to improve the stringency of future studies and publications within this field of science. Summary The demand for microbially produced surface‐active compounds for use in industrial processes and products is increasing. As such, there has been a comparable increase in the number of publications relating to the characterization of novel surface‐active compounds: novel producers of already characterized surface‐active compounds and production processes for the generation of these compounds. Leading researchers in the field have identified that many of these studies utilize techniques are not precise and accurate enough, so some published conclusions might not be justified. Such studies lacking robust experimental evidence generated by validated techniques and standard operating procedures are detrimental to the field of microbially produced surface‐active compound research. In this publication, we have critically reviewed a wide range of techniques utilized in the characterization of surface‐active compounds from microbial sources: identification of surface‐active compound producing microorganisms and functional testing of resultant surface‐active compounds. We have also reviewed the experimental evidence required for process development to take these compounds out of the laboratory and into industrial application. We devised this review as a guide to both researchers and the peer‐reviewed process to improve the stringency of future studies and publications within this field of science.